2024-08-08 02:05:40
With the bidding process officially launched by FIFA, the presidents of the three federations met to confirm their interest in the bid – the first step in FIFA’s bidding process – and to celebrate this official milestone together, reads the joint statement issued after the meeting held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé.
According to the same source, Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the FRMF, Fernando Gomes, President of the Portuguese Football Federation and Pedro Rocha, President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, shared their vision of a tournament that strengthens the legacy of the FIFA World Cup, develops football and has an impact around the world.
One hundred years after the first FIFA World Cup, the statement continued, the three countries aim to draw on their unique football heritage, living traditions and a thousand years of intertwined cultures and shared history to deliver an inclusive, innovative and sustainable tournament, in a true spirit of celebration. To achieve this, the 2030 World Cup will be organised as an accessible and fan-focused tournament, benefiting the entire football ecosystem.
“The 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco, Portugal and Spain will be the first men’s World Cup to be held on two continents and will focus on strengthening ties between Europe, Africa and the rest of the world,” the same source added, indicating that the intercontinental World Cup will therefore be an opportunity to showcase the diversity of football, foster collaboration between nations and leave a strong social legacy in the three countries, but also throughout the world.
Quoted in the statement, Mr. Lekjaa highlighted the historical aspects of the joint candidacy of the two continents and the three countries for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“This is a World Cup that will help us further unite our common civilisations established more than ten centuries ago. The three countries share a common history, a common present and are looking towards a common future,” he said, adding that “all this demonstrates, from both shores of the Mediterranean, that collective success is possible and that prosperity can have a shared and collective perspective.”
Mr. Gomes returned to the ambition that the organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup represents and the mark that the three countries want to leave, noting that “this is a historic moment because it marks the official beginning of our process with FIFA to be able to organize the FIFA World Cup in 2030.”
“This is a great moment for us, highly symbolic since it is the centenary of the first edition of the tournament. But 2030 will be much more than a celebration of the past!” he continued.
And to maintain that “thanks to the ambition and competence of our three federations, we believe that this tournament will mark a paradigm shift in the way major events will be organised in the future. That is our ambition!”
As for Mr. Rocha, he highlighted the unique opportunity for collaboration between different football federations, countries and peoples, noting that “this candidacy is a message of hope and unity, because this World Cup will be a demonstration of the union of cultures and the promotion of inclusion, diversity and respect.”
“It will be a World Cup with an important social legacy that will remain in Morocco, Portugal, Spain and the whole world. We have a common project that will generate enthusiasm everywhere. Let’s make this dream come true,” he said.
Regarding the stadiums of the three countries that will be included in the final bid, the three presidents agreed that it was premature at this stage to take decisions on this matter, as studies and the evaluation work of the technical teams are ongoing.
The next step in FIFA’s bidding process for the 2030 World Cup will be for the three federations to submit the bid agreements to FIFA by the end of November 2023.
2024-08-08 02:05:40