FIFA assured this Thursday that the decision on the venue for the 2030 World Cup final “will be made in due course.” The statement from the football’s highest body comes after the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, stated that the match will be held at the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, which is currently under construction.
Last August, FIFA had already denied having promised Morocco the organization of the final, which it will share with Spain and Portugal, in exchange for support for the continuation of its president, Gianni Infantino, in the upcoming elections. The rumor arose after the World Cup privatization project sparked an uproar among various football confederations that called for Infantino’s resignation.
Following the crisis triggered by that initiative, FIFA met in Rabat in early August to address the problems caused by Infantino’s controversial project. After that meeting, the British newspaper The Times revealed that the Swiss president had offered Morocco the possibility of hosting the World Cup final in exchange for support to remain at the head of the football governing body.
The Bernabéu and Camp Nou among the candidates to host the final
FIFA sources already described those reports as “false and misleading” and reiterated that the decision on the 2030 final venue will be made later. In the bid dossier, Spain proposes the Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou stadiums, while Morocco presents the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca.
The Moroccan infrastructure will have a capacity of 115,000 spectators, making it the largest in the world, surpassing Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabéu, which have capacities of 105,000 and 78,297 respectively.
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However, the debate was reopened this Thursday by the president of the Moroccan football federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, who stated during a political event that “the province of Benslimán will have the honor of hosting the 2030 World Cup final.” The official was referring to the area where the Hassan II stadium is being built, near Casablanca.
For his part, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán, defended on September 4 that Spain should host the tournament final because it is “the best football country today,” although he emphasized his respect for Portugal and Morocco and recalled that the final decision rests exclusively with FIFA.
The Spanish federation considers that the Moroccan announcement should not be given too much attention, believing it was made for internal purposes. They are convinced that Spain’s organizational capacity and security guarantees surpass those of Morocco. Furthermore, they do not expect a FIFA decision on the final venue this year, and perhaps not even until 2028.
In addition to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, the 2030 World Cup will feature opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, whose games will serve to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup, held entirely in Montevideo in 1930.
