Spain could suffer 2030 World Cup final snub as Morocco FA president Fouzi Lekjaa names 115,000-seat stadium
Spain's pursuit to host the 2030 World Cup final is being challenged by Morocco FA, with its president Fouzi Lekjaa naming a 115,000-seat stadium as the venue for the game. Preparations for the 2030 World Cup are already underway, set to feature the first tournament held across six nations, with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco serving as primary co-hosts. However, a high-stakes power struggle has emerged regarding the final venue after Morocco FA president Fouzi Lekjaa identified a planned 115,000-seat facility in Morocco as the target destination. Spanish news agency EFE reported Thursday that Lekjaa, during a political address in Bouznika, Morocco, declared the country would secure the final for the 2030 edition. “The province of Benslimane will have the honor of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” he said. The proclamation drew immediate pushback from Spanish sports executives, who have long positioned Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu as the logical centerpiece for the final match. However, the venue remains unconfirmed, as FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, retains final decision-making authority over tournament match assignments. Morocco have launched an ambitious infrastructure initiative to support their co-hosting duties, anchored by a record-setting stadium project. Benslimane, the municipality highlighted by the Morocco FA president, sits 60 kilometers (37 miles) outside Casablanca and will house Hassan II Stadium, a $1 billion USD project built for a projected capacity of 115,000 seats. Upon completion, it will stand as the largest soccer-specific stadium in the world. Digital renderings of the Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco. (Populous via Handout/Getty Images) While Lekjaa has publicly laid claim to the 2030 final, FIFA have yet to formally confirm host venue designations across the tournament. For comparison, MetLife Stadium (rebranded as New York/New Jersey Stadium during international competition) was not officially awarded the 2026 World Cup final until February 2024, reflecting the extended timeline governing bodies typically utilize before announcing final selections. Spain FA also pushing to hold the final Numerous structural decisions remain unresolved for the 2030 World Cup, including whether opening-stage fixtures assigned to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will expand beyond initial celebratory matches, as well as final field expansion logistics. Regardless of format adjustments, the destination of the final remains the ultimate prize, one Spanish executives are unwilling to relinquish without a fight. Speaking to reporters in Ceuta, RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) president Rafael Louzan called for diplomatic alignment between bid partners: “Spain has to work with those with whom we signed the bid. We can’t say: now you’re in, now you’re not… We have all signed an acceptance of a bid, and the bid, as you know, is what it is. Therefore, we must work on that.“ Louzan subsequently reinforced Spain’s posture regarding the location of the final match, outlining the country’s historic qualifications. “The pity was that, regarding the final, it wasn’t made clear, completely clear, where that final has to be played. Spain, a two-time world champion and current number one in both men’s and women’s football, has to host that final. We will all work together, because we have no other choice, so that we can deliver the best World Cup in history,” explained the RFEF president.
