Report: Moroccan sports ambition serves diplomacy and strengthens the kingdom's position.

A recent report from the "Italian Institute for International Political Studies" confirmed that Morocco's sports ambitions have become a fundamental pillar of diplomacy and development, highlighting that "Morocco has crafted an ambitious strategy in the field of sports over the past few years; sports have become a tool for diplomacy, representing a complementary dimension for self-assertion on both regional and international stages, as well as a means to accelerate economic and social development and improve infrastructure."

The same report clarified that "some features of Morocco's foreign policy have become clearer in recent years; through adopting a firm approach in defending the autonomy plan for the Sahara, and ongoing efforts to improve relations with partners in sub-Saharan Africa, especially after the country's return to the African Union in 2017, betting on economic and trade cooperation, as well as religious diplomacy."

On the economic side, the same source pointed out the Moroccan desire to "balance the unique geostrategic position the country enjoys, and its distinguished economic relations with major global economic powers; this is evident in the establishment of a free trade area with the European Union, a free trade agreement with the United States, and growing relations with China and the United Arab Emirates, while reaffirming the Atlantic dimension of its foreign policy with Latin American countries, particularly Brazil."

It emphasized that "sports add an additional dimension to the country's ambition to enhance its international standing. The organization, which received global acclaim for the latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, served this goal perfectly; the media focused on the state of infrastructure, smooth organization, and security management of the event. This enhanced the country's international credibility and contributed to shaping a narrative about the state's performance, modernity, and attractiveness as a leader in African sports."

The aforementioned report continued: "In this context, the 2026 and 2030 World Cups represent the spearhead; in March 2023, King Mohammed VI announced that Morocco would join the Portuguese-Spanish bid to host the tournament. In December 2024, FIFA officially granted the right to host the World Cup to the three countries. This success was extremely significant, considering that Rabat had repeatedly submitted its candidacy without success to host the World Cups of 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, and 2026. Madrid, Lisbon, and Rabat first discussed the idea of submitting a joint bid in 2018, but diplomatic tensions between 2021 and 2022 made this possibility unfeasible at that time."