Socio-economic challenges and impacts of an international sporting event for the host territory: Case of the 2030 World Cup in Morocco

Abstract

The organization of a major sporting event represents a great opportunity for the host country to benefit from the potential impacts brought about by this event. Morocco, one of the three countries hosting the men's football World Cup in 2030 with Spain and Portugal, aims to create "sustainable value" for its economy through the organization of this major sporting event. Based on an external generating element which is the 2030 World Cup, the Moroccan organizers hope to benefit greatly from this event by benefiting from a significant return on investment in terms of positive impact on the economy, the social and the environmental.

The purpose of this article is to question the potential impacts that this sports competition can generate on the economy of a developing country, the case of Morocco. The analysis of theoretical and empirical literature will constitute our frame of reference that will allow us to identify the theoretical basis of this causal link between the organization of a major sporting event and the impacts it can induce for the host territory. Subsequently, we will attempt, through the case of Morocco, to describe the potential short- and long-term repercussions of the 2030 football world cup on the socio-economic development of the country.

Classification JEL: HO

Paper type: Theoretical research.