As the football world focuses on the current World Cup final in New York, attention is also turning to the 2030 tournament, where the location of the final match is becoming a contentious issue. Morocco, Portugal, and Spain are set to co-host the 2030 World Cup, yet FIFA has not yet confirmed which country will stage the final.
Spain has asserted its intention to host the final, but Morocco is making a strong bid with the construction of a new $12-billion stadium near Casablanca. This venue, designed to seat 115,000 spectators, aims to be the site where the 2030 title is decided, sparking a competitive atmosphere within football’s governing circles.
The Hassan II stadium is expected to be the largest football stadium in the world upon its completion, scheduled for the end of next year. It faces competition from two Spanish stadiums: Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, which will have an 83,000-seat capacity following renovations finishing in late 2024, and Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which is partially reopened during ongoing upgrades intended to increase capacity to 105,000 but is currently behind schedule.
In a significant development, Spanish Football Federation President Rafael Louzan initiated a strong lobbying campaign in January, asserting Spain’s right to host the final. He referenced disruptions during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco to bolster Spain’s case, emphasizing Spain’s proven organizational experience over the years.
Louzan remarked, “Spain has a proven organisational capacity over many years, and therefore Spain is going to be the one to lead that World Cup 2030 and where the final of the tournament will be played.” He also criticized incidents at the Africa Cup of Nations, including crowd violence, issues with ball boys, and a brief walk-off during the match where Senegal defeated Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, which holds 69,500 spectators.
Morocco’s influential football federation president, Fouzi Lekjaa, has remained measured, stating on state television that no decisions have been made regarding match allocations. He emphasized that such choices will be made exclusively through consultations among the three host nations and FIFA.
Nonetheless, insiders within African football confirm that Morocco is actively pushing behind the scenes to secure the final in Casablanca. The competition between the parties is expected to intensify as the tournament approaches.
If Casablanca is selected, it would mark only the second occasion an African city has hosted a World Cup final, following Johannesburg in 2010, where Spain won its first and only World Cup title. Notably, when Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup, the final took place at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Italy defeating West Germany 3-1.
