Casablanca 'to host' 2030 World Cup final, Moroccan football boss claims

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."

Reuters has contacted the RMFF and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for comment.

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".