FIFA has rejected claims that the venue for the 2030 World Cup final has already been decided, stating that the selection process remains open and that no binding promise has been made to Morocco, Spain or any candidate city.
The tournament will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with one-off centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in 1930. Morocco will become only the second African country to host the tournament after South Africa in 2010.
Morocco’s proposed Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is expected to hold approximately 115,000 spectators and is being supported by major public investment. The project is part of a wider infrastructure programme involving roads, rail links and transport connections to Casablanca and Rabat. However, the stadium has not been awarded the final.
FIFA officials have said the final venue will be determined “in due course.” Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu remains a leading Spanish option, while Casablanca’s planned stadium is Morocco’s principal proposal. The final decision is expected to consider construction progress, transport capacity, accommodation, security and broadcast infrastructure.
Representatives from several 2030 host cities have also visited venues in Miami and Dallas to study tournament operations, including stadium logistics, event management and broadcasting arrangements. Discussions have included the possible locations of FIFA’s operational headquarters and the International Broadcast Centre.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has also said that the organisation will examine a proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams in 2030, although no such change has been approved. The 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the first to feature 48 teams.
The dispute over the final venue comes amid wider criticism of FIFA’s leadership. Former Portugal international Luís Figo has called for Infantino to resign, while UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister has warned that tensions between football’s governing bodies have created a serious governance crisis. Those political disputes, however, have not altered FIFA’s official position: the 2030 final venue remains undecided.
