Al-Imrani: Sports enhance youth inclusion... and Morocco is ready to host the World Cup.
Youssef El Amrani, the Moroccan ambassador to the United States, stated that "Morocco has long recognized that football and sports have become a key tool of soft power, as sports and economic development are two sides of the same coin." He added, "The kingdom has invested heavily and established modern infrastructure to host the 2030 World Cup, believing that it will serve as a bridge connecting Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean region, and we are in urgent need of this."
The Moroccan diplomat continued during a panel discussion organized by both the "Adrian Arst Center for Latin America" and the "Adrian Arst Initiative for National Security Resilience," affiliated with the Atlantic Council (think tank), and the "Africa Center," on Friday, in the presence of the Brazilian ambassador to Washington, stating that "Morocco sees hosting the World Cup as a major catalyst for long-term national transformation."
The representative of Moroccan diplomacy in America mentioned that "football is important, but the integration of women, gender equality, and the promotion of women's rights are the most important issues for Morocco." He added, "That is why, in our country, and thanks to the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, we have established legislation in an Arab and Muslim country that insists on equality in jobs and government responsibilities, because we cannot progress today if women are not equal to men."
El Amrani continued: "Thanks to this vision, we now have football fields like those in Brazil; we are currently building small infrastructure around all neighborhoods and residential areas for football and other sports, so that young people can find a place to interact with the community. On a larger scale, the issue of investment comes into play, as we are now building the largest stadium in the world near Casablanca, and thus we are now ready for the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain."
The speaker emphasized "the importance of viewing sports or football as an important soft power and a force for inclusion, to promote a culture of solidarity and a culture of respect for others," and said: