Casablanca will host 2030 World Cup final, says Moroccan federation chief

Fifa has yet to announce the venue for the final, where Spain were originally expected to host decider

Digital renderings of the proposed Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity. Photograph: Populous via Handout/Getty
Digital renderings of the proposed Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity. Photograph: Populous via Handout/Getty

The 2030 World Cup final ‌will be held in Casablanca, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) was reported ‌as saying by Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday.

Fifa has yet to announce the venue ​for the final, with Spain and Morocco in a heated battle to host soccer’s biggest match.

“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup ​final,” Fouzi Lekjaa told a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco on Thursday, EFE reported.

A ⁠spokesperson for soccer’s world governing body said “a decision will be made ‌by ‌Fifa ​in due course.”

Benslimane is a city ⁠60km from Casablanca and ​the site of the $1-billion Hassan II ​stadium, which is being built for the World Cup with a projected ‌capacity of 115,000. It will be ​the largest football-specific stadium in the world.

The next World Cup will ⁠be a unique event, with ⁠games to be ​held across six countries in three continents for the first time. While the opening three games will take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the majority of the tournament is being hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

Fifa has yet to finalise all of the cities that will host games, but both Morocco and ‌Spain want the final. ⁠The decision on the venue for the 2026 World Cup final was not announced until February 2024.

“Spain should host the ‌final,” Lekjaa’s counterpart at the RFEF, Rafael Louzan, told local media earlier this month.

Fifa said ​in August that media reports saying president Gianni ​Infantino had promised the final to Morocco were “false and misleading”.

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