“Yes, with Portugal and Spain, but no Morocco”: the Iberian resident’s support towards the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup

Public acceptance of co-hosted sport mega-events is shaped by complex social judgements that influence resident support. Drawing on the social exchange perspective and incorporating insights from congruence theories, this study investigates how Iberian residents perceive trust in FIFA’s decision-making, the (in)congruence between the hosting nations, and how these perceptions shape their support to the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Using qualitative data from four online focus groups with 29 Iberian residents, we conducted a thematic analysis guided by both deductive and inductive coding. Findings reveal that residents perceive the inclusion of Morocco (and South American hosts) as creating symbolic and cultural misalignments with their Iberian identity, further heightening distrust in FIFA due to the lack of transparency in the co-host selection. Despite these concerns, most residents still offer conditional support for the event, highlighting a paradoxical dynamic where enthusiasm for hosting coexists with scepticism towards the rights holder. This tension challenges rational-choice assumptions of social exchange theory and underscores the role of social reciprocity and congruence in resident support. To sustain such support, FIFA and policymakers should consider cultural (in)congruence of the co-hosts in their decision making.