Morocco confident of hosting 2030 World Cup final

Morocco’s bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final has gained fresh momentum after Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa said the showpiece match would be played at the new Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca.

Lekjaa made the declaration at a political event in Bouznika on Thursday, saying the Benslimane province would have the honour of hosting the final.

His comments came as Morocco and Spain continue to compete for the right to stage the tournament’s most prestigious match.

“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said, according to Spanish news agency EFE and other reports. Reuters

FIFA has not officially awarded the final to Morocco.

The governing body is still expected to decide which stadium will host the match, with Spain also campaigning for the final to be played on its territory.

FIFA has previously rejected reports that its president, Gianni Infantino, had promised the final to Morocco, describing such claims as false and misleading. Diario AS

The main Moroccan candidate is the Hassan II Stadium, which is under construction in Benslimane.

The planned venue is expected to hold about 115,000 spectators, potentially making it the world's largest football-specific stadium.

The project, estimated to cost around $1 billion, is being developed specifically for Morocco’s 2030 World Cup hosting plans.

Its scale and purpose have strengthened Morocco’s argument that the country should stage the final, particularly as the stadium can be designed from the outset to meet the requirements of football’s biggest match.

Spain, meanwhile, has several established venues capable of hosting the final.

The Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, home of Real Madrid, remains one of the strongest contenders.

Barcelona’s Camp Nou is another option, although its redevelopment has faced delays.

The Bernabéu underwent an extensive renovation that was completed in late 2024 and has a capacity of more than 80,000.

Its international reputation, infrastructure and experience hosting major sporting events have formed a central part of Spain’s argument.

The competition between Morocco and Spain has given the final-venue question an unusual political dimension.

Spanish officials have publicly expressed their desire to keep the final in Spain, while Moroccan officials have increasingly promoted the Hassan II Stadium as a symbol of the country’s growing role in world football.

The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay also staging opening matches to mark the centenary of the first World Cup.

The tournament will therefore span six countries and three continents.