Portugal has reaffirmed its commitment to co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Morocco and Spain, rejecting calls from the opposition Livre party to remove Morocco from the joint hosting arrangement following the recent migration crisis in Ceuta.
Portugal’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, said the government remained committed to delivering what she described as “the best World Cup ever,” according to public broadcaster RTP.
“We want it to be a tournament of the highest standard, both in sporting and competitive terms, but we also want it to be an opportunity to bring people and cultures together,” Lopes said.
She added that preparations for the tournament had been underway across several government ministries, not only those responsible for sports.
The minister’s comments came after Livre called earlier this week for Morocco to be removed from the 2030 World Cup hosting arrangement following the recent mass migration crisis in Ceuta.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proença, the party urged Portugal and Spain to host the tournament without Morocco, accusing Rabat of violating international law and linking it to the events in Ceuta.
Livre also called on the European Union and UEFA to support a joint Portugal-Spain bid.
“Portugal cannot tolerate the normalization of violence at the borders, the violation of human rights, and the political instrumentalization of people in vulnerable situations,” party leaders Jorge Pinto and Isabel Mendes Lopes said.
The calls come as the political fallout from the Ceuta migration crisis continues to extend beyond Spain and Morocco, raising questions in some European countries about cooperation with Rabat.
Portugal, however, has maintained its commitment to the three-country hosting arrangement, with Lopes stressing that preparations for the 2030 tournament remain focused on delivering a major sporting event capable of bringing people and cultures together.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.