Spain should withdraw from co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup if Morocco is selected to stage the tournament’s final, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s conservative People’s Party (PP), has said, escalating the political dispute surrounding the organization of the global football event.
Feijóo, who is the PP’s candidate for prime minister, made the remarks during an appearance on the Spanish sports television programme *El Chiringuito*. He argued that Spain, as one of the world’s major football nations, deserved to host the competition’s most prestigious match.
“It is fair, fitting and unquestionable that Spain hosts the final,” Feijóo said, describing the country as a global football power.
When asked whether Spain should withdraw from its co-hosting responsibilities if Morocco secured the final, he responded that Spain should not participate in organizing the tournament under those circumstances.
“If it does not host it, Spain should not take part in organizing the World Cup,” he added.
His comments have brought renewed attention to the competition between Spain and Morocco over hosting rights for the 2030 final, potentially creating further complications for a tournament intended to celebrate international football cooperation.
The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with the South American countries of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay also set to stage opening-centenary celebrations and matches as part of the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Feijóo pointed out that the original European bid was submitted by Spain and Portugal before Morocco was invited to join the hosting arrangement at a later stage. He suggested that the original structure of the bid should be taken into account when determining which country stages the final.
Morocco, however, has been actively pursuing the opportunity to host the flagship match. The country has invested heavily in football infrastructure, stadium development and sporting facilities as part of its broader ambitions to strengthen its position in international football.
Spanish football officials have previously expressed confidence that the final would be held in Spain.
In June, Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán said he expected either Madrid or Barcelona to host the decisive match. His comments reflected Spain’s position that its established football infrastructure and international sporting profile made it a strong candidate for the final.
However, the competition has increasingly become intertwined with diplomatic and political tensions between Madrid and Rabat.
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have faced renewed pressure in recent months, particularly over migration and Spain’s North African territories.
During the summer, Spanish political parties accused Morocco of encouraging or facilitating a migration crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city bordering Moroccan territory. Around 80,000 people reportedly entered the city during a major surge in late July, triggering political criticism and renewed debate over migration cooperation between the two governments.
The dispute also influenced public attitudes towards the World Cup hosting arrangement.
A Sigma Dos survey conducted for Spanish newspaper *El Mundo* following the Ceuta migration crisis found that 84.4 per cent of respondents opposed Spain continuing to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Morocco.
The findings highlighted the extent to which diplomatic disagreements were influencing public perceptions of an international sporting event that is expected to bring together millions of football supporters.
Political opposition to the joint hosting arrangement has also emerged from Spain’s left.
Sumar, the junior partner in the country’s governing coalition alongside the Socialists, argued during the summer that Spain should reconsider sharing the tournament with Morocco because of the migration dispute.
“The World Cup cannot be shared with a country that uses desperate people for its own geostrategic interests,” the left-wing party said.
Sumar subsequently introduced a parliamentary resolution calling for opposition to the joint hosting arrangement. The proposal received backing from the far-right Vox party, creating an unusual convergence between political groups that otherwise hold sharply different positions on domestic and international issues.
The resolution, however, did not reach a parliamentary vote because the legislature was dissolved ahead of the snap election.
Feijóo’s latest remarks have now placed the question of the World Cup final back at the centre of Spain’s political debate.
Although the tournament’s three principal co-hosts are expected to cooperate in delivering the 2030 competition, the allocation of the final remains a particularly sensitive issue because of its commercial, symbolic and international significance.
For Spain, hosting the final would reinforce its position as a major centre of global football. For Morocco, securing the match would represent a significant achievement in its expanding sporting ambitions.
The disagreement also illustrates how major international sporting events can become entangled in wider diplomatic disputes, particularly when competing national ambitions and political tensions influence decisions about hosting arrangements.
