Morocco has picked Casablanca as the host for the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. This is despite FIFA not officially confirming the location for the big match yet.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, shared this news on Thursday. He spoke at a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco.
Lekjaa told the Spanish news agency EFE that Benslimane province, close to Casablanca, will host the final.
“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said.
Benslimane is about 60 kilometres from Casablanca. This area will have the Hassan II Stadium, which is being built for the tournament.
The new stadium is expected to hold 115,000 fans, making it the biggest football stadium in the world. The construction is estimated to cost about $12 billion.
But FIFA has not confirmed the final venue yet. Morocco and Spain are both trying to host the match.
Rafael Louzán, the president of the Spanish football federation, mentioned earlier this month that Spain should host the final.
In August, FIFA said reports claiming their President, Gianni Infantino, promised Morocco the final were “false and misleading.”
As the final venue remains a topic of debate, preparations for the 2030 World Cup continue. Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will jointly host the tournament.
FIFA announced the three countries as hosts in December 2024. Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will each host one centenary celebration match.
This tournament will take place across six countries on three continents. It marks 100 years since the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.
The first three matches are set for Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay before the tournament shifts to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
FIFA still needs to finalize all the cities that will host matches. The argument over the final location has become a major disagreement between the European and African co-hosts.
Reuters reached out to FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation for comments.
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