FIFA has denied a claim that Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup final, saying it has not yet decided where the tournament’s showpiece match will take place.
Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also stage centenary matches as FIFA takes the tournament across three continents.
The dispute began after Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, claimed Morocco had already secured the final.
Lekjaa reportedly made the announcement at a political rally, naming Benslimane as the host city and the Hassan II Stadium as the venue.
“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it, and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk,” Lekjaa said, according to an Associated Press translation.
He also expressed hope that Morocco would play the final in the stadium.
FIFA, however, moved quickly to reject the suggestion that the decision had already been made. The governing body told multiple news outlets on Thursday that the venue would be decided “in due course”.
That leaves the final venue open, with Morocco and Spain both seeking to stage the biggest match of the tournament.
The stadium at the centre of Morocco’s claim is still under construction near Casablanca. The Hassan II Stadium will have a planned capacity of 115,000, which would make it one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
Morocco’s bid for the final comes as the country prepares to host its second World Cup after sharing the 2030 tournament. South Africa became the first African nation to stage World Cup matches when it hosted the 2010 edition.
The final venue has also become politically sensitive. Reports in the British media previously claimed FIFA president Gianni Infantino had promised Morocco the final in exchange for political support during his campaign for re-election.
FIFA rejected those reports in August, calling them “false and misleading”.
For now, the governing body has made its position clear. Morocco may want the final at Benslimane, but FIFA has yet to make the decision.
