Spain insist they will host 2030 World Cup final despite 115,000-seater Morocco stadium

Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city, with plans in the works for 115,000 spectators.

Yet boasting legendary stadiums of their own, including Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu (capacity: 84,000) and Barcelona’s Camp Nou (capacity: 100,000), Louzan is adamant that Spain will host the showpiece match in four years.

“Spain has proven its organisational capacity over many years,” he said.

“It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here.”

Louzan did not elaborate on whether Madrid, which also has Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium (capacity: 70,000), or Barcelona would host the final.

Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco's Royal Football Federation president Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.

A final in Morocco would represent the second time a World Cup final was held in Africa, after Johannesburg hosted the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its recent hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco.

open image in gallery

That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.

"Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums," Louzan said. "We must recognise what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we saw scenes that damage the image of world football."

FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final's location.

FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament.

World football’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.

Additional reporting by Reuters