Verdict on World Cup being stripped from Spain, Portugal and Morocco after migrant crisis

The verdict on the 2030 World Cup hosts being stripped has been

The situation regarding the 2030 World Cup has been called into question (Image: Getty)

Football fans have overwhelmingly voted in favour of keeping Morocco and Spain as the 2030 World Cup hosts following the migrant crisis in North Africa. A diplomatic incident was started between the two nations last week when thousands of Moroccan migrants fled to Ceuta - a Spanish enclave on the African mainland.

It sparked widespread condemnation from Spanish authorities, with close to 100 said to have been killed as a result. In the days that have followed, many migrants were returned to Morocco, but it’s estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 still remain in the Spanish territory.

It’s created tensions between the two nations, and as is often the case, this has bubbled into the football sphere, with calls for FIFA to intervene. Morocco are one of three main co-hosts for the 2030 World Cup, alongside the nearby European nations of Portugal and Spain.

And in the aftermath of the Ceuta crisis, it was politicians from Spain who were pushing for FIFA to strip Morocco of hosting privileges. One of the main political parties in the country filed a motion, with Sumar having called for authorities to: “carry out a specific review and evaluation of the current joint organisation model.”

On top of that, there have been formal appeals for the Spanish government to lobby the Spanish FA to trigger FIFA's internal oversight mechanisms, which would allow for a rigorous assessment of adherence to statutory human rights policies, alongside the production of a transparent, independent report regarding potential "human rights risks in host countries."

FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy Shoot

Morocco have come under criticism from Spain and Portugal (Image: Getty)

But Express Sport readers disagree. In fact, 57 per cent of those who voted in a poll regarding the decision said Morocco should remain as a host for the 2030 World Cup, despite the tensions with Spain. There was still a sizeable 43 per cent chunk who wanted to see the decision made by FIFA, but the chances of that coming to fruition remain slim.

Never before has a men’s World Cup host had their hosting rights stripped ahead of the tournament, making it an unlikely move for the current administration to undertake. The only time a World Cup host has changed pre-tournament was ahead of the 1986 edition, when Colombia pulled out because they weren’t able to facilitate an expanded tournament, with Mexico taking up the mantle instead of the South Americans.