World Cup final tug-of-war escalates as Morocco PM rebukes FA head, Spain stakes claim

RABAT, Sept 11 - Morocco's prime minister hit out at his country's top soccer official after the federation president boldly declared that the 2030 World Cup final will be played in Casablanca, despite FIFA not having made that decision yet.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch took aim at Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) President Fouzi Lekjaa, who told a political party event that the province of Benslimane would have the 'honour' of hosting the final.

World soccer's governing body FIFA has not yet announced which of the three co-hosts -- Spain, Portugal or Morocco -- will host the final in 2030, with a spokesperson saying a decision would be made in due course.

"Do not offer to host the big final game in Morocco while we still have not discussed the matter with our allies, Spain and Portugal. There should be some respect, brothers," Akhannouch said at a rally ahead of elections later this month.

"Stop using electoral promises to pull the rug out from under us. These are huge matters. Deciding where the final will be held is a major issue."

The RMFF did not respond to a request for comment on Lekjaa's remarks.

As of May, Morocco's proposed 115,000-seat stadium for the 2030 World Cup was around 30% complete, with officials overseeing the project hoping to complete construction by the end of 2027.

New Jersey was selected to host the 2026 final in July and FIFA did not make the announcement until February 2024. REUTERS