The International Center in Support of the Autonomy Plan sent a message to Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the FRMF and head of the 2030 World Cup Committee, requesting the inclusion of the Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf Stadium in Laayoune as a venue for some matches during the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
The center highlights Laayoune’s status as the capital of the Moroccan Sahara and its dynamic infrastructure, emphasizing that it possesses the necessary sports facilities and logistical capabilities to host high-level international matches.
They stress that hosting World Cup matches in Laayoune would have a significant economic and tourism impact, promote the city globally, and boost enthusiasm for football among the local population, particularly the youth and entrepreneurs from the southern provinces of the Kingdom.
Notably, the separatist Polisario Front recently expressed concerns to the United Nations about the inclusion of the Sahara in the 2030 World Cup, raising questions about the “legality” of such an endeavor and its potential consequences on the ongoing United Nations-led peace process.
In a letter sent to UN head Antonio Guterres, the separatists’ leader Brahim Ghali called for immediate international attention to halt any actions that may be deemed “illegal” in the Moroccan Sahara zones.
It’s worth noting that Polisario and its militia have been suspected of having links to terrorist organizations, providing them with arms and logistical assistance, which includes fuel.
On top of that, international NGOs have previously pointed out that the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, controlled by Polisario, represent a place of lawlessness and a dire humanitarian crisis.