The accusations are horrifying: one of the host countries of the 2030 World Cup is said to be slaughtering millions of stray dogs in the run-up to the tournament. How will FIFA respond?
The event is meant to be a great football celebration. The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be held across six countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Morocco, which reached the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was eliminated by France, will be a co-host for the first time.
However, international criticism has already been mounting against the North African nation, which is also hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in December 2025.
The reason: according to media reports, the government is planning to kill millions of stray dogs before the tournaments — and may have already begun carrying out this policy.
The justification given for this disturbing practice, which could claim the lives of up to three million animals, is that the Moroccan government believes roaming stray dogs could spoil the World Cup experience for international visitors. In addition, the dogs are said to pose a potential risk of spreading diseases to humans.
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As of late November 2025, these allegations have been reported by some European media outlets such as Merkur, tz.de, and BILD, but no official confirmation has been issued by Moroccan authorities or FIFA.
Animal welfare organizations, including PETA Germany and the International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA), have raised concerns about reports of dog culling in parts of Morocco, arguing that it violates international animal protection standards.
FIFA has not released a statement specific to this issue, but its sustainability and human rights policy generally condemns abuses tied to tournament preparations.
Reputable English-language outlets like Reuters, BBC, and The Guardian have not yet independently verified the claims of “millions” of killings, so caution is advised when interpreting these numbers.
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