Morocco’s football federation president, Fouzi Lekjaa, has said the 2030 FIFA World Cup final will be played at the Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca.
However, FIFA has not officially selected the venue and says a decision will be announced later.
Lekjaa, who heads the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, made the declaration as competition continues between Morocco and Spain over the right to stage football’s biggest match.
The 2030 tournament will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay staging centenary matches to mark 100 years since the first World Cup.
Morocco presents new stadium as final venue
Reuters reported that Lekjaa identified the new stadium in Benslimane province as the venue for the final.
Benslimane is located approximately 60 kilometres from Casablanca, although the stadium is commonly presented as part of the Casablanca World Cup project.
The Grand Stade Hassan II is currently under construction and is expected to hold about 115,000 spectators when completed. That would make it one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
The project is expected to cost approximately $1 billion and is scheduled for completion before the tournament.
Its design takes inspiration from Morocco’s traditional gathering tents, with a large roof covering the stadium and surrounding areas. New transport links and other infrastructure are also being developed to connect the site with Casablanca and Rabat.
Moroccan officials have repeatedly described the stadium as suitable for hosting the final.
FIFA has not confirmed the decision
Despite Lekjaa’s declaration, FIFA remains responsible for approving the tournament’s match schedule and final venue.
The football governing body told Reuters that it would announce the decision in due course. It also rejected previous reports suggesting that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already awarded the final to Morocco.
This means Casablanca has not yet been officially confirmed, despite the Moroccan federation president’s statement.
The distinction is important because Spain is also publicly campaigning to host the final.
Spain continues competing for the match
Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán has previously said he expects the final to be held in Spain.
The Associated Press reported that Spain considers itself strongly placed because of its experience hosting major tournaments and the availability of established stadiums.
Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu and Barcelona’s expanded Camp Nou are among the Spanish venues competing with Morocco’s new stadium.
The 2030 World Cup bid was submitted jointly, but the three main host countries did not publicly agree on where the final would be played.
As a result, statements from either Morocco or Spain represent their respective positions rather than FIFA’s final decision.
Historic opportunity for African football
If FIFA awards the final to Morocco, it would be the first men’s World Cup final held in Africa since Johannesburg hosted the match between Spain and the Netherlands in 2010.
It would also strengthen Morocco’s growing position as a major football destination after years of investment in stadiums, transport and training facilities.
For now, Morocco has formally presented its preferred venue and its federation president has declared that it will host the final. FIFA, however, has not confirmed that outcome.
