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.Morocco's population hopes that the kingdom will make it to the semifinals in the 2026 World Cup, at leastImage: Caean Couto/IMAGN Images/REUTERS
"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.
