Morocco football chief claims Casablanca will host 2030 World Cup final

Lekjaa claims Casablanca will host final

Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and Morocco's minister delegate in charge of the budget, declared on 10 September 2026 that Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup final. Lekjaa delivered the announcement during an electoral meeting for the liberal Authenticity and Modernity Party in Bouznika, located on the outskirts of Rabat. His remarks drew applause and ovations from party members present at the campaign event. World football governing body FIFA has not yet announced the official allocation of tournament host cities or the final match venue, leaving the hosting assignment between Morocco and Spain formally undecided.

The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final. Whoever wants to be in the next government will have no choice but to develop the province.

Grand Hassan II Stadium specifications and costs

The proposed final venue is the Grand Hassan II Stadium, located in Benslimane province roughly 60 kilometres from Casablanca. Construction on the venue commenced in 2024, with projected completion dates targeted for late 2027 or 2028. Once completed, the facility will hold a capacity of 115,000 spectators (with one report stating 113,000 seats), establishing it as the largest football-specific stadium in the world. Financial cost estimates for the venue vary widely across media reports, ranging from 500 million euros and 1 billion dollars to 12 billion dollars (10.3 billion euros). Moroccan authorities intend for the completed arena to serve as the primary home ground for the Moroccan national football team.

Competition with Spain and FIFA response

Morocco's bid for the final faces direct competition from Spain, whose primary proposed venue is Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium. The Bernabéu recently underwent extensive renovation work and features an approximate capacity of 83,000 spectators. Earlier in September 2026, Royal Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán stated to local media that Spain should stage the final match. In August 2026, FIFA publicly refuted media reports alleging that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already promised the final to Morocco, labelling those claims false and misleading. Portuguese cities like Lisbon and Porto were ruled out of the final race because FIFA rules require a minimum seating capacity of 80,000 spectators for the World Cup final.

Spain should host the final.

Tournament structure across six nations

The 2030 tournament will feature games across six countries and three continents for the first time in World Cup history. Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay are scheduled to host the opening three matches to mark the centennial of the 1930 tournament held in Montevideo. The remaining fixtures will be shared between Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. In mid-2024, former Portuguese Football Federation president Fernando Gomes noted that Lisbon's Estádio da Luz will stage one semi-final, satisfying FIFA's 60,000-seat semi-final minimum, while Porto's Estádio do Dragão and Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade fall below that capacity limit. At the Bouznika meeting, Lekjaa also stated that his ideal final would see Morocco face France, seeking a sporting rematch following Morocco's World Cup semi-final loss in 2022 and its 2-0 quarter-final defeat in 2026.