Morocco and Spain are locked in a high-stakes contest to host the 2030 World Cup final, with FIFA yet to officially decide the venue for football’s showpiece.
Key Points
- Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa said Benslimane province will host the 2030 World Cup final, according to EFE.
- The proposed Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is being built at an estimated $12 billion and is projected to hold 115,000 spectators.
- Morocco and Spain are competing to host the final, with Spanish federation president Rafael Louzan publicly backing Spain’s bid.
- FIFA has not officially confirmed the final venue and previously rejected reports that president Gianni Infantino had promised the match to Morocco.
The 2030 World Cup final will be held in Casablanca, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was reported as saying by Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday.
Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has yet to announce the venue of the final, with Spain and Morocco in a heated battle to host soccer’s biggest showpiece match.
Lekjaa Points to Benslimane
“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Fouzi Lekjaa told a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco on Thursday, EFE reported.
Benslimane is a city 60km from Casablanca and the site of the $12-billion Hassan II stadium, which is being built for the World Cup with a projected capacity of 115,000.
It will be the largest football-specific stadium in the world.
Reuters has contacted FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation for comment.
The next World Cup will be a unique event, with games to be held across six countries in three continents for the first time.
While the opening three games will take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the majority of the tournament is being hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
• French FA withdraws support for Infantino’s FIFA re-election
Spain, Morocco Remain Locked in a Contest
FIFA has yet to finalise all of the cities that will host games, but both Morocco and Spain want the final.
“Spain should host the final,” Lekjaa’s counterpart at the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzan, told local media earlier this month.
FIFA said in August that media reports saying President Gianni Infantino had promised the final to Morocco was “false and misleading”.
