Portugal's LIVRE party has called for Morocco to be excluded from hosting the 2030 World Cup, against the backdrop of the migration crisis that the city of Ceuta recently witnessed.
The crisis sparked wide-ranging reactions across several European countries. Those reactions ran beyond politics and reached into the debate over hosting the 2030 World Cup.
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In a message published by the party's spokesman, Jorge Pinto, LIVRE called for an end to Morocco's involvement in organising the tournament, according to French network "RMC".
Pinto said: "In light of recent events, a courageous decision imposes itself: Portugal cannot take part in the joint organisation of the 2030 World Cup with Morocco. For its part, the LIVRE party will do everything in its power to avoid the organisation of this event being linked to a country that has not demonstrated its competence and does not inspire confidence."
He added: "The initial proposal was for Portugal, Spain and Ukraine to organise the 2030 World Cup. For good reasons, Ukraine dropped out of the file, and Morocco took its place. But this option has today become unsustainable."
Stripping Morocco of the right to host the 2030 World Cup looks extremely difficult, "RMC" reported, given the shortage of time and the infrastructure projects already under way.
Morocco also strengthened Gianni Infantino's position within FIFA during the recent crisis. As long as the Swiss official remains at the head of the International Football Federation, the chances of Rabat losing the hosting right are almost non-existent. Morocco's chances of hosting the final instead of Spain may even increase.