Spanish parliamentary group Sumar demanded breakthrough decisions before the 2030 World Cup and submitted a motion in the national Congress protesting against co-hosting the tournament with Morocco. Four parliamentarians signed the document, including three representing United Left.
The initiative proposed that the International Federation of Association Football, the Royal Spanish Football Federation, and Portuguese authorities reconsider the tournament model. The document emphasized that football cannot be a tool to whitewash everything, according to gazeta.press. Spain celebrated winning its second World Cup in history last month, when La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 after an extra-time goal by Ferran Torres. Spain is currently set to co-host the next tournament alongside Portugal and Morocco, while Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host the first three matches.
Border events in Ceuta
The action by politicians was caused by events in Ceuta, a town bordering Morocco, where migrants from Morocco crossed the border of the Spanish enclave en masse on July 30 and 31. Spain stopped the influx of refugees, around 73,500 migrants were to return to Africa, and media reports stated that 71 people died as a result of the incident.
The motion requested executive authorities to evaluate the impact of events at the Ceuta border on human rights commitments related to the tournament and present proposals for additional measures if serious violations of international and human rights obligations by any host country are proven. According to rtve.es, the group also demanded clarification of the events at the Ceuta border, identification of the dead and missing, establishment of responsibility, and implementation of effective early warning mechanisms, protection of minors, and saving lives.
FIFA expansion plans for 2030
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the 2030 World Cup will be the best in history. FIFA is still considering expanding the number of participants to 64, which would break this year's record set in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where 48 teams competed in 104 matches.
The upcoming tournament will take place on the exact 100th anniversary of the first World Cup. Playing in front of their home fans, Uruguayans defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final of that inaugural event to become the first world champions.
