FIFA said on Thursday that a decision on whether Morocco or Spain will host the 2030 World Cup final will be made “in due course,” following statements by Morocco’s football federation president that the match will be held in Benslimane near Casablanca.
A FIFA spokesperson gave the clarification in response to a request for comment from The Associated Press, referring to the organisation’s statement of August 5 and reiterating that the decision “will be made in due course,” according to the AP and ESPN.
The statement followed remarks by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, who said at a political gathering in Bouznika on Wednesday that Benslimane would host the final. “The city is Benslimane, the Hassan II stadium is the stadium, and I hope that Morocco will be playing in it,” Lekjaa said.
Lekjaa, who is also Morocco’s minister delegate in charge of the budget and a member of the political bureau of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity, made the remarks during a campaign event organized by the party in Bouznika, in Benslimane province.
The Hassan II Stadium, currently under construction near Casablanca, is planned to accommodate around 115,000 spectators. Once completed, it is expected to rank among the world’s largest football stadiums, according to Football Ground Guide.
Spain has also expressed its interest in hosting the final. Rafael Louzán, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, said earlier this month that Spain, as the world champion in both men’s and women’s football, “must host the final,” while acknowledging that the decision had not yet been finalised, ESPN reported.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one opening-round match as part of celebrations marking the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA has yet to confirm the complete list of host cities for the tournament.
