Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Spain's Sumar Party Questions Co-Hosting 2030 World Cup with Morocco
Spain, Morocco, and Portugal are planning to host a big soccer event called the World Cup in 2030.
But some people in Spain's government are upset with Morocco.
Last week, a huge number of people crossed from Morocco into a Spanish city called Ceuta, which sits on the coast of North Africa.
More than 80 people died trying to reach Ceuta by swimming around a breakwater and border fence.
A small Spanish political party called Sumar wants Spain to think again about hosting the World Cup together with Morocco.
They say Morocco does not respect human rights and uses migrants to pressure other countries.
The party is small, so its request probably won't change things, but it made a formal call in Spain's Parliament.
Spain's leader, Pedro Sánchez, thanked Morocco for helping bring almost all of the 72,000 people back.
Other people in Spain and a small party in Portugal also asked for more answers from Morocco.
Sumar, the junior partner in Spain's coalition government, filed a non-binding parliamentary motion asking Spain's sports authorities to reconsider co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Morocco and Portugal.
The motion follows last week's migration crisis in Ceuta, when tens of thousands of people surged from Morocco into the Spanish enclave; almost all of about 72,000 who crossed have been returned.
Spain's Interior Ministry says about 2,000 people remain in Ceuta, including roughly 1,000 minors, and more than 80 people died trying to swim across around a breakwater and border fence.
Sumar MP Nahuel González accused Morocco of not respecting human rights and of using migrants to exercise political pressure.
Portugal's small Livre party also called for reassessment of the World Cup as 'unsustainable', while Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez defended Morocco's quick help in returning migrants.
- Who
- Sumar, a small left-wing party in Spain's coalition government, its MP Nahuel González, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Portugal's small Livre party, and the governments of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.
- What
- Sumar presented a non-binding parliamentary motion asking Spain's sports authorities to reconsider co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Morocco and Portugal in response to the Ceuta migration crisis.
- When
- The motion was presented on Wednesday, following the migration crisis last week.
- Where
- Spain's Parliament; Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast; and the co-hosting countries Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.
- Why
- Because of the Ceuta migration crisis, which killed more than 80 people and prompted accusations that Morocco uses migrants to exercise political pressure.
Reconsider World Cup ties with Morocco
Keep the World Cup partnership
Morocco's handling of the Ceuta crisis
Reconsider World Cup ties with Morocco
Sumar and opposition voices say Morocco uses migrants for political pressure and must explain its response; even Spain's defense minister has asked for a more detailed explanation.
Keep the World Cup partnership
PM Pedro Sánchez says Moroccan authorities acted quickly to help return almost all of the 72,000 people who crossed into Ceuta.
Hosting the 2030 World Cup with Morocco
Reconsider World Cup ties with Morocco
Sumar wants Spain's sports institutions to reconsider sharing the World Cup with Morocco because human rights must be defended, and Portugal's Livre party called the partnership 'unsustainable'.
Keep the World Cup partnership
The government has not moved to change the hosting plan, and Sánchez has publicly defended Morocco's role in resolving the crisis.
- Event
- 2030 FIFA World Cup
- Main co-hosts
- Spain, Morocco, Portugal
- Additional hosts
- Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay (one match each)
- Motion sponsor
- Sumar, with 26 seats in the 350-member Parliament
- People who crossed into Ceuta
- About 72,000; almost all returned
- People remaining in Ceuta
- About 2,000, including about 1,000 minors
- Deaths during crossings
- More than 80
- Spanish Prime Minister
- Pedro Sánchez (Socialist)