Morocco Claims Casablanca Will Host 2030 World Cup Final as FIFA Says Decision Still Pending
Morocco has staked its claim to host the 2030 World Cup final in Casablanca, with the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation declaring the country’s new flagship stadium the intended venue, even as FIFA insists no final decision on the match’s location has yet been made.
Fouzi Lekjaa made the announcement at a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco, on Thursday, September 10, according to Spanish news agency EFE. “The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said. Benslimane, a city roughly 60 kilometres from Casablanca, is home to the Grand Stade Hassan II, a stadium currently under construction for the tournament at a reported cost of around $1 billion, with a projected capacity of 115,000, which would make it the largest football-specific stadium in the world once completed.
Responding to Lekjaa’s comments, a FIFA spokesperson told EFE that the decision on the final’s host venue would be made in due course, reaffirming that no formal announcement has yet been issued despite Morocco’s public positioning. The 2030 World Cup is being jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, alongside a symbolic centenary allocation of one match each to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, marking 100 years since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930.
Thursday’s announcement is the latest development in an ongoing and increasingly public dispute between Morocco and Spain over which country should stage the tournament’s showpiece match. Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzan had earlier declared that Spain, rather than Morocco, would host the final, citing the country’s organisational experience, though he stopped short of naming a specific stadium, with Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu and Barcelona’s Camp Nou both considered leading candidates on the Spanish side. Louzan had also pointed to disruptions during Morocco’s hosting of a recent Africa Cup of Nations final as a mark against the country’s case.
The rivalry over hosting rights comes against a backdrop of broader diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat, including longstanding disputes over migration and territorial issues involving Spain’s enclaves in North Africa. Despite the friction, relations between the two countries have shown some signs of improvement in recent times, following Spain’s shift toward aligning more closely with Morocco’s position on the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Morocco’s push to host the final also reflects the country’s broader, decades-long ambition to stage football’s biggest tournament, having submitted five previous unsuccessful World Cup bids dating back to 1994. As part of its hosting preparations, Morocco has undertaken a significant infrastructure drive across six host cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Tangier, Marrakesh and Agadir, spanning stadium renovations, airport expansions and broader transportation and hospitality upgrades. With the final’s venue still formally undecided, officials from Morocco, Spain and Portugal are expected to continue discussions on the tournament’s broader scheduling and hosting arrangements in the lead-up to 2030.
About the Author
