Morocco Claims 2030 World Cup Final Will Be Played at Hassan II Stadium, but FIFA Says Nothing Is Decided

A stadium that doesn't even exist yet has become the center of a small political storm in world soccer. Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa declared at a campaign event that the 2030 World Cup final will be played at the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, a venue that isn't even finished. FIFA wasted no time responding: the decision "will be made in due course," a spokesperson for the governing body said flatly.

The phrase is no accident. FIFA used the same line on August 5, when it had to deny reports that Gianni Infantino had promised Morocco the final in exchange for political support ahead of the presidential elections in March. That meeting in Rabat, where FIFA's leadership addressed the crisis surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise project (eventually scrapped after outright rejection from confederations including UEFA and Concacaf), left a tense atmosphere behind. The Times lit the fuse by reporting that Infantino had allegedly offered the Moroccan final as a bargaining chip. FIFA sources at the time called the report "false and misleading."

Now, weeks later, Lekjaa has put the issue back on the table. Speaking at a campaign rally in Benslimane, near Rabat, the official, who also serves as Morocco's minister delegate for the budget, stated bluntly that "the province of Benslimane will have the honor of hosting the final of the 2030 World Cup." The remark directly contradicts FIFA's official position, which maintains that nothing has been decided.

Three Candidates, One Trophy

The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and each country has put forward its best case for hosting the final. Spain's bid features the Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou; Morocco offers the Hassan II. The capacity numbers speak for themselves: the Hassan II, set to open in late 2027, will hold 115,000 fans and aims to be the largest stadium in the world. Camp Nou, once its renovation is complete, will hold around 105,000, while the Bernabeu tops out at 78,297. Rafael Louzan, president of Spain's soccer federation (RFEF), made his stance clear days earlier during a visit to Ceuta. He did so without disparaging anyone, but without hiding his ambition either:

With all due respect and affection for those involved in the bid, Spain should host the final because it's the best soccer country today, but it should be FIFA that makes that decision.Rafael Louzan

Beyond where the trophy is ultimately lifted, the 2030 World Cup will include a special nod to the past: Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the opening matches of their respective national teams as a tribute to the centennial of the first World Cup, held entirely in Montevideo in 1930. A symbolic detail that's a reminder that, amid all the debate over infrastructure and political ambition, the tournament remains, above all, a matter of history and soccer.