Fiery statements by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sparked renewed controversy over the 2030 FIFA World Cup, moving from the world of sports to the world of politics. Sanchez recalled the moment when the Spanish national team won the World Cup title in the United States, describing the scene of US President Donald Trump handing the cup to Spain as “real political euphoria.” These statements come at a time when the dispute is escalating over the country that will host the final match of the 2030 World Cup, between Spain and Morocco.
Speaking to the Spanish station La Septima, Sanchez defended the joint bid between Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup, stressing that the original initiative came from the two Iberian countries. The Spanish Prime Minister said, according to statements reported by the German News Agency: “It is true that two countries were the ones who launched this idea: Spain and Portugal, given that it was Europe’s turn to host the tournament, and then we added the state of Morocco to it.”
In an attempt to reassure Spanish public opinion, amid growing concerns about the possibility of hosting the final match being awarded to Morocco, Sanchez stressed that “Spain will host the largest number of World Cup matches compared to any other country.” Sanchez recalled the memory of Spain winning the World Cup this summer in the United States with great enthusiasm, using that very personal expression to describe that historical moment. As he looked forward to hosting the next tournament on Spanish soil, Sanchez explained his desire to repeat history, as he concluded his speech by saying: “We won in South Africa, as well as in New York, and now it is our turn to win the title in Spain in 2030, right?” “This is a matter for FIFA, and Spain is the country that will host the largest number of matches.”
These statements came at a time when tensions and speculation began to increase about where the World Cup final will be held in 2030, as the Spanish Football Federation fears that the decisive match will end up being held in Morocco.
Spanish journalist Juanma Castaño revealed, on the “El Partidazo de Cuba” program, that the pressure that US President Donald Trump may exert may be decisive in granting the African country the right to host the match. In reference to Morocco. In light of this atmosphere, Alberto Nunez Viejo, leader of the opposition People's Party, put forward a controversial idea. According to the same program, he is considering putting forward a proposal during his election campaign stipulating that Spain completely withdraw from hosting the tournament, if FIFA refuses to grant it the right to host the final match.
This position is in stark contrast to the official orientation of the Union; Rafael Lauzan, President of the Spanish Football Federation, in statements to the “El Partidaso de Coppi” program, ruled out any possibility of withdrawal, calling for calm at the institutional level and adherence to the pledges that have already been made. Lausanne said: “Spain has signed agreements with other countries, with FIFA, and with the government, in order to organize the next edition of the World Cup.”
By “training doctors, providing remote treatment services, and sending equipped ambulances,” the Egyptian government is implementing a plan to support the health sector in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Egyptian Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with his Palestinian counterpart, Majed Abu Ramadan, to discuss enhancing cooperation in all fields of health care, and agreeing to implement a plan to transfer Egyptian expertise and experiences to the Palestinian health sector, in parallel with continuing to provide humanitarian support to the Palestinian people.
During the meeting, the Egyptian Minister of Health stressed “the depth and interconnectedness of the brotherly relations between Egypt and Palestine, and the Egyptian state’s keenness to provide all means of support to support the Palestinian people in their current crisis,” while the Palestinian Minister of Health praised “the Egyptian efforts and its humanitarian stance toward his state.”
According to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Health, on Tuesday, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Egypt, said that the meeting witnessed “an agreement to implement a mechanism to receive Palestinian doctors in various specialties to train them in Egyptian hospitals, and to discuss the possibility of providing the Palestinian side with ambulances equipped with the latest medical equipment, and to discuss (telemedicine) as one of the urgent technologies currently in the Gaza Strip to speed up the diagnosis of patients and take appropriate treatment measures, in addition to supporting the oncology and medication files.”
This comes at a time when the Egyptian Red Crescent continues its relief efforts to support the people of the Gaza Strip in the face of the repercussions of heavy rains and low weather, by providing basic winter supplies, most notably tents, blankets and winter clothes, to contribute to alleviating the suffering of affected families and providing alternative shelter to protect them from the harsh weather conditions.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian Crescent announced the launch of the “Zad al-Izza... from Egypt to Gaza” convoy No. 309, loaded with humanitarian and relief aid trucks heading to the Gaza Strip, to continue supporting the Palestinian brothers and meeting their basic needs, especially with the approaching winter.
According to Al-Hilal’s statement, the cargo of the 309 convoy exceeded 2,527 tons of various aid, including flour, food baskets, relief supplies, medical materials, and therapeutic medicines, as well as petroleum supplies needed to operate bakeries, hospitals, and vital facilities within the Strip.
The Egyptian Red Crescent confirms that it has continued its presence on the border since the beginning of the crisis, while maintaining the readiness of its logistical centers, and intensifying its efforts to prepare and bring humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip, the total of which exceeded one million tons through the efforts of more than 75,000 volunteers in the association.
On Monday, the Egyptian Crescent received the 98th batch of Palestinian brothers coming for treatment at the Rafah crossing, and also bid farewell to those recovering during their departure after completing their medical journey in cooperation and coordination with the Ministries of Health and Social Solidarity.
The issue of sending Algerian military units to Niger still raises controversy at the regional and international levels. The European position on this step has come to the point of a diplomatic crisis with Niamey, at a time when Algeria confirmed that this move falls within the framework of confronting terrorist threats and acts of sabotage in the region.
About 10 days after the European Union spokesman, Anwar El-Anouni, asked for “clarifications” about the decision that Algeria officially announced on October 25, regarding the deployment of its army in northern Niger, the Nigerian Prime Minister, Mohamed Lamine Zein, received yesterday (Monday), the acting head of the European Union delegation to Niger, Olay Foinma, to question him about what the Nigerian authorities described as “condescending and unacceptable statements.” As reported by the official Nigerian News Agency.
Niger stressed that it “does not need to obtain permission from Brussels to exercise its sovereignty,” calling on the European Union to provide “clarifications regarding its repeated and abusive interventions.”
Algeria began deploying its military units in its southern neighbor on the 26th of last month, that is, one day after the country’s parliament voted on a notification from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in this regard, in a step considered the first since participation in the 1973 Ramadan War.
These statements came days after Algeria announced that the goal of moving its army outside the borders was “to protect common interests in the energy sector.” Yesterday (Monday), the Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Saeed Chengriha, addressed the case, during a visit to a military facility in the west of the country. He stressed that the decision “reflects the will of Algeria and Niger, and their awareness of the importance of protecting joint energy investments and facilities, especially in light of the security threats facing the region, from terrorist and sabotage activities with regional and international extensions.”
There was no official reaction from Algeria to the European official’s statements, while the official Algerian News Agency, last Sunday, quoted an “authorized source” confirming that the Algerian authorities “did not receive any request for clarification from the European Union regarding this issue, nor were any official correspondence recorded, or diplomatic steps consistent with the statements attributed to the European spokesman,” explaining that such a request, if directed to Algeria, “would constitute “Unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.”
According to the Algerian newspaper “Al-Watan”: “The partnership between Algeria and Niamey falls within a solid and diverse institutional framework, far from being limited to operational and circumstantial needs,” stressing that “the strategic rapprochement between Algeria and Niger is seen at the continental level as a reflection of a new stage of geopolitical maturity.”
