Spain, Portugal and Morocco are cohosting the tournament, but FIFA, which has the final say, has not said who will host the last game.
The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzan, says Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which it is cohosting with Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants the game to be in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a large stadium currently under construction north of the city. But Louzan has other plans.
“Spain has proven its organisational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup, and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organised by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not give a site for the match, for example at Madrid’s Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, Casablanca’s new stadium is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations, including chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognise what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA, the FRMF and the Portuguese Football Federation have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.
FIFA told the Reuters news agency last year that it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World football’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
By News Agencies – ALJAZEERA
