Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán has ruled out any possibility of Spain withdrawing from the 2030 World Cup if Morocco is chosen to host the tournament’s final, striking a notably more cautious tone than in his previous comments about the venue.
Speaking to Spanish radio station COPE, Louzán said Spain had signed agreements and undertaken commitments with Morocco, Portugal, FIFA and the Spanish government as part of the joint bid to host the tournament. He said those commitments meant Spain would not walk away from the World Cup over the location of the final.
Louzán was responding to comments by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation, who said during an election campaign event for Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party that the city of Benslimane would host the stadium planned to stage the 2030 World Cup final.
The remarks came amid renewed debate in Spain over Morocco’s role in the three-country bid, as well as claims from parts of the Spanish political and media establishment that the final should be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Louzán urged caution over the growing dispute, saying the three host countries had agreements in place with FIFA and that institutional calm was needed while the selection process continued.
Asked directly whether Spain could withdraw from the tournament if it failed to secure the final, Louzán dismissed the possibility.
"There are agreements signed and commitments that have been made," he said, emphasizing that Spain remains committed to the joint organization.
He also characterized Lekjaa’s comments as part of an ongoing electoral campaign in Morocco and said they should be viewed in that context. At the same time, Louzán described Spain as the "driving force" behind the joint bid with Morocco and Portugal.
The Spanish federation chief also backed Spain’s technical case for hosting the final, saying the country had the infrastructure and stadium capacity required and that the available information supported its candidacy.
But Louzán now says that FIFA has not made a final decision on where the 2030 World Cup final will be played. He said FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expected to visit Spain in the fall to discuss the criteria for selecting venues and other organizational aspects of the tournament.
His latest comments differ from earlier statements in which Louzán had suggested that FIFA had effectively settled on the Santiago Bernabéu as the venue for the final.
Louzán said Spain’s initial proposal includes nine stadiums, with efforts under way to add Vigo and Valencia in place of Málaga and A Coruña, potentially bringing Spain’s total to 11 venues. Morocco has proposed six stadiums, while Portugal has three. He stressed, however, that the final allocation of matches has yet to be decided.
The decision on the final could come after a FIFA congress scheduled to take place in Rabat next year, Louzán said, adding that closer cooperation among the parties would strengthen Spain’s position.
"Spain is unbeatable when we all pull in the same direction," he said.
Louzán’s comments effectively rule out suggestions that Spain could abandon the 2030 tournament if Morocco were awarded the final. They also underscore that Madrid cannot unilaterally determine which country hosts the match, given the agreements already concluded among the three organizing countries and FIFA.
At the same time, his remarks represent a significant shift from his previous assertions about the Bernabéu and the status of FIFA’s decision. By acknowledging that no final venue has yet been approved, Louzán indicated that both the final and the broader distribution of matches remain subject to the ongoing selection process.
