According to a report in The Times, a head-to-head battle is developing between Spain and Morocco over which country will host the final of the 2030 World Cup. The rest of the tournament allocations among the co-hosts, Morocco, Spain and Portugal, are mostly settled, but the final has become the main point of tension.
Sources close to FIFA said the race is currently seen as 50-50, and no final decision has been made on the sensitive issue. Morocco is pushing for the match to be held at the under-construction Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, a venue planned for 115,000 seats that would be the largest football stadium in the world.
Moroccan officials argue that staging the final there would bring a World Cup final back to Africa for the first time since South Africa hosted the tournament in 2010. Spain, meanwhile, is promoting the renovated Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid as the natural setting for such a showcase, citing its international stature and long history.
The Spanish federation is also pointing to Madrid’s developed infrastructure and Spain’s experience in organizing major global sporting events. FIFA now has the final say and is expected to resolve the dispute over where the 2030 tournament’s climax will take place.