FIFA and Moroccan prime minister reject claims that 2030 World Cup final is decided

Unilateral claim from Benslimane

Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and Morocco's minister delegate in charge of the budget, declared at a political rally in Benslimane that the province would host the 2030 World Cup final. The planned venue, the King Hassan II Stadium, is situated near Casablanca and designed for 115,000 spectators, representing an estimated 500 million euro project. Lekjaa asserted that the decision was settled regardless of outside opinions, insisting that the decisive match would take place on Moroccan soil. The remarks prompted an immediate response from world football governing body FIFA, which denied that any selection had been finalized. FIFA representatives reiterated that venue decisions for the 2030 tournament, co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, will be announced in due course.

“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk.”

Domestic friction in Rabat

The declaration drew a direct rebuke from Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch during a campaign rally ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for later in September 2026. Akhannouch criticized Lekjaa for making unilateral public pledges on tournament hosting before concluding formal consultations with co-hosts Spain and Portugal. The prime minister urged political actors to avoid using international sporting commitments as domestic campaign promises. He called for mutual respect among the three bidding partners, emphasizing that joint coordination remains necessary to manage diplomatic and logistical commitments. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation did not issue an official statement following the prime minister's comments.

“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.”

Stadium race between Madrid and Casablanca

The competition for the 2030 final focuses primarily on two candidate venues: Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu and the planned Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane. As of May 2026, construction on Morocco's 115,000-seat stadium was approximately 30% complete, with Moroccan authorities aiming for full completion by the end of 2027. Spanish officials and football figures have advocated for Madrid, pointing to the Bernabéu's existing infrastructure and football history. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho publicly endorsed the Madrid venue during a press conference on 11 September 2026, stating that the Bernabéu provides the most appropriate setting for the event.

“If you can play in a legendary, historic stadium where some of the best players in history have played, the stadium of the most important club in football history, I think it should be here.”

Governance dispute and tournament timeline

The friction between Moroccan statements and FIFA communications follows earlier denials from Zurich regarding reports that FIFA leadership had informally pledged the final to Morocco. La Liga President Javier Tebas criticized FIFA for its series of denials and questioned the lack of clarity between federation officials and world governing bodies. The 2030 tournament represents the second time an African nation stages World Cup fixtures, following South Africa in 2010. FIFA previously waited until February 2024 to announce New Jersey as the 2026 final venue, and officials indicate that a formal timetable for the 2030 selection will follow a similar procedural schedule.