FIFA has firmly clarified that no decision has been made regarding the venue for the 2030 World Cup final, responding directly to claims made by Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa that the showpiece match will take place in Morocco. While Lekjaa publicly declared that the planned 115,000-capacity Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, would secure the tournament’s climax, football’s governing body maintains that the selection process remains open and will be concluded in due course.
The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, with the opening three matches staged in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Lekjaa reiterated his stance at a gathering in Benslimane, asserting that the province would have the honor of hosting the final while expressing hope that Morocco would be one of the two competing finalists. Designed to be the world’s largest football-specific venue, the proposed Hassan II Stadium forms the centerpiece of Morocco’s bid to bring the ultimate match of international football to North Africa.
However, Spanish football officials have consistently argued that the final belongs in Spain, setting up an intense rivalry between the co-hosting nations. Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu and Barcelona’s Camp Nou stand as Spain’s leading contenders for the fixture. Royal Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán reiterated that no final venue has been designated, pointing out that a definitive decision could potentially follow the FIFA Congress scheduled to take place in Rabat next year. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is also expected to visit Spain in the autumn to review organizational criteria and evaluate national plans.
FIFA has also explicitly rejected claims that Infantino promised the final to Morocco in exchange for political support ahead of upcoming elections. The governing body maintains that the host venue for the tournament’s biggest match remains entirely unassigned despite Lekjaa speaking as though the issue has been settled. As competition among the host nations intensifies, FIFA insists that the ultimate selection will be made strictly through its formal evaluation processes.
