FIFA has officially rebuked claims from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation that the North African nation has already been awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup final, confirming that no decision has been made on where the tournament’s showpiece match will take place.
The governing body’s statement comes in direct response to assertions made by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, who told attendees at a political rally on Thursday that Morocco had secured the right to host the final. Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 tournament alongside Spain and Portugal, marking a historic milestone as only the second African nation to stage World Cup matches, following South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2010 edition.
FIFA told multiple news outlets that the decision regarding the final’s venue remains undecided, with a spokesperson confirming the matter will be addressed “in due course.” The statement directly contradicts Lekjaa’s public assertion, which he made to supporters gathered at a political event. The governing body had previously addressed similar speculation on August 5, when FIFA explicitly denied reports that embattled president Gianni Infantino had promised the final to Morocco in exchange for political support as he campaigns for re-election next year. The organization labeled those reports as false at the time, emphasizing that no such promise had been made.
Spain, which is co-hosting the 2030 tournament alongside Morocco and Portugal, maintains its own legitimate candidacy to host the decisive match. The debate over the final’s venue has centered on infrastructure development, with the 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium currently under construction near Casablanca emerging as Morocco’s proposed venue for the showpiece match. However, FIFA’s repeated denials of any pre-arranged deal underscore the organization’s insistence on a transparent, deliberative process for determining where football’s ultimate match will be played.
As preparations for the 2030 World Cup continue across three continents, the final’s location remains one of the most closely watched decisions in football governance. The tournament’s historic significance for African football, combined with the high stakes surrounding the final venue, ensures that FIFA’s measured approach will face intense scrutiny from all quarters of the global football community as the organization works to finalize its plans.
