The report says Lekjaa has led Morocco’s football federation since 2014 and currently serves as budget minister. His potential appointment would place a senior figure in the World Cup project at the head of government.
Morocco’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals raised football’s influence at home and abroad. Hosting matches during the 2030 tournament offers another chance to strengthen infrastructure, tourism and the country’s international profile. It also means every stadium and transport project will be judged against competing demands.
For younger Moroccans, the World Cup is reportedly part of a larger dispute over where public money should go. The report says youth-led protests highlighted pressure on hospitals, schools and employment, with major sporting projects becoming a symbol of that frustration.
The update says the government later directed a 16% increase in health and education spending, alongside almost 30,000 jobs and renovations at 90 hospitals. Those commitments may help answer criticism, but they also underline the scale of the pressure facing any incoming administration.
The report cites youth unemployment, underemployment among graduates and a survey in which 55% of Moroccans aged 18 to 29 said they wanted to emigrate. Against that backdrop, World Cup investment must deliver visible benefits beyond matchday facilities.
Lekjaa’s reported candidacy would make the tournament a political responsibility as well as a football project. His experience could help coordinate preparations, but it would also expose him to scrutiny over budgets and delivery.
The next government will therefore face a clear challenge: turn Morocco’s World Cup momentum into jobs, better services and lasting infrastructure before the tournament arrives.