Morocco: The 2030 World Cup is more than sports, it is a national project

For Moroccan fans, one thing is certain: The national team's 1-1 draw against Brazil in its opening 2026 World Cup match was just the beginning. They hope that their team will make history once again after its historic run to the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup. However, while attention is currently focused on this month's tournament, Morocco is already looking ahead to 2030. Along with Spain and Portugal , the kingdom will host the World Cup that year.

For Morocco, hosting the World Cup means more than just having a global sporting event in the country. The North African country had unsuccessfully put in five bids to host the tournament before FIFA finally awarded the contract in December 2024.

Observers say that the World Cup is regarded as one of King Mohammed VI's most important prestige projects and considered part of a comprehensive modernization strategy. At the heart of this strategy is the country's successful national soccer team .

"The World Cup serves as a catalyst for Morocco's economic development," Steven Hoefner, director of the German political Konrad Adenauer Foundation's office in Rabat, told DW. The country is undergoing profound structural change , he said. In the face of climate change and drought, agriculture is losing importance, while industry, services and tourism are expanding.

Isabelle Werenfels of the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) also agrees that the significance of the World Cup extends far beyond sports. "The World Cup has multiple dimensions ," she told DW. The government is using the tournament "to boost its modernization policy and legitimize major domestic investments."

Morocco is currently investing billions in stadiums, airports, rail lines and roads. A study by the Spanish think tank Real Instituto Elcano described the 2030 World Cup as an instrument of Moroccan "soft power." The tournament is intended to improve the country's international image, attract new investment, and strengthen Morocco's position in Africa, the authors wrote, detailing that "the goal is to create an appealing image of an open, tolerant, and up-and-coming country capable of managing projects at the highest level."

Another goal is international visibility, which Hoefner described as "a central objective of the Moroccan leadership." As Morocco has neither large oil nor gas reserves, it is increasingly relying on its political and cultural influence. The World Cup is intended to present the kingdom as a modern economic and investment hub, said Hoefner, who recently authored a study on Moroccan soccer policy.

However, there is also controversy surrounding these investments. Thousands of members of the generation born around the turn of the millennium, known as Gen Z, protested against the World Cup plans last year. "These protests were directed specifically against large-scale infrastructure projects," Werenfels recalled. The critics argued that money spent on stadiums and prestige projects was being diverted from other areas such as education and healthcare, she added.