13 Mar 2025
Vet group calls for FIFA World Cup host axe in stray dog row
Claims that mass euthanasia is taking place ahead of a major tournament have been dismissed by Moroccan officials, despite concerns from many welfare organisations.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Casablanca is one of the host cities in Morocco for the 2030 Fifa World Cup. Image: Loïc Bourgeois / Adobe Stock
A veterinary group has demanded action from world football’s governing body over the alleged treatment of stray dogs in a future World Cup host nation.
Critics fear up to three million dogs, plus other homeless animals, could be euthanised in Morocco during preparations for the 2030 event, which it is due to co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Although Moroccan authorities have denied the claims, the Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA) has now urged FIFA to strip the state of the tournament, only three months after its staging rights were formally confirmed.
Pre-requisite
The association said: “For the country to go forward as a World Cup host, FIFA should make the cessation of Morocco’s unconscionable dog control methods a non-negotiable pre-requisite.”
The PVA’s intervention follows calls by the International Animal Coalition (IAWPC) for Morocco to be suspended as a host until the killing programme is halted.
The group, whose members include several UK-based charities, claims FIFA has so far refused to act on evidence presented to it, despite a bid evaluation report emphasising Morocco’s “commitment” to the protection of animal rights.
‘No basis’
So far, FIFA has not commented on the issue, while a senior Moroccan official claimed the allegations had “no basis” and some international reporting was “completely unfounded”, Morocco World News reported.
But supporters of the campaign against the cull include two of the PVA’s patrons, the zoologist Dame Jane Goodall and the actor Peter Egan.
The PVA also described some of the methods being used in the programme as an “abomination”, adding: “Neutering programmes would be a far more effective and humane approach to this issue.”
The tournament’s organisation has already proved controversial on environmental grounds because of plans to stage the opening matches in South America to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup competition in Uruguay.
Morocco is also due to host the African Cup of Nations later this year.