The 2030 World Cup hosting file, which brings together Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, has sparked controversy in the city of Ceuta, after a number of fans of Atlético Ceuta club expressed their refusal to hold the tournament in partnership with Morocco, amid escalating tensions between the city and the Moroccan side over the issues of migration and borders.
The Spanish newspaper "Marca" reported statements from several Ceuta fans, who, while attending the team's match against Celta Fortuna, expressed their anger at Morocco's participation in organizing the World Cup, with some even demanding its complete exclusion from the hosting bid.
One young fan said, according to "Marca": "I would expel them; they do not deserve to host the World Cup. If people are leaving their country, they cannot host the World Cup. Whoever is not a partner in our well-being cannot host the World Cup with us."
Another fan added: "I would have expelled Morocco from the hosting bid. I do not understand how there can be any doubts; the World Cup should be for Spain and Portugal. Morocco, no, and it should not even participate in the World Cup."
These statements come at a highly sensitive time for Ceuta, following one of the largest migration crises the city has witnessed in recent years, when massive numbers of migrants from the Moroccan side entered the city on July 30 and 31.
According to Spanish reports, the number of people who reached Ceuta during that crisis exceeded 70,000, amid chaos and significant pressure on the borders.
The positions of Ceuta's fans were not limited to demanding Morocco's exclusion from organizing the tournament, as one fan took a more extreme stance, saying: "If I were Spain, I would not play in the World Cup, and FIFA would decide what to do if the world champion said it would not participate."
Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are scheduled to host the 2030 World Cup, in a historic edition that will span more than one continent, with commemorative matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament's inception.
