Election favorite says Spain should quit as World Cup co-host if Morocco stages the final

Spain shouldn’t co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup if Morocco gets to stage the final, said Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the conservative People’s Party leader and favorite to become the next Spanish prime minister after this month’s snap election. Speaking on the sports TV show El Chiringuito, Feijóo said it is “fair, fitting and unquestionable” that Spain, “a global football power,” hosts the final.

“If it does not host it, Spain should not take part in organizing the World Cup,” Feijóo added, before confirming, in response to a follow-up question, that he would advocate for Spain to withdraw from co-hosting duties if Morocco was awarded the flagship match. Feijóo noted that the 2030 World Cup was originally a Spanish-Portuguese bid, until Morocco was invited at a later stage.

Despite that chronology, Moroccan officials have been pushing vigorously to stage the final, which is the world’s most prestigious sports event.