How Morocco's elections ended up revolving around the World Cup
The president of the national football federation is the favourite to become prime minister ahead of the crucial tournament.
In Casablanca, Morocco, thousands of workers are building the Grand Stade Hassan II, a 115,000-capacity football stadium that will be the world's largest. The project is part of a $20 billion program to upgrade sports facilities, transportation, and tourism infrastructure ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The tournament's preparations are also influencing parliamentary elections, with Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, considered a frontrunner to become prime minister. Morocco hopes the World Cup will boost economic growth and create jobs, but critics argue that the investment may not benefit all Moroccans equally, with many young people facing high unemployment and disillusionment with the political system.
Written by urgent.news from Expansion ES's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
