By Adegboyega Adeleye Morocco has named Casablanca as the venue for the 2030 World Cup final, according to the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa. According to Reuters, Lekjaa announced the plan at a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco, on Thursday, despite FIFA yet to officially confirm the venue for the tournament’s showpiece match.
“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said, according to Spanish news agency EFE. Benslimane, about 60km from Casablanca, is the site of the $12 billion Hassan II Stadium, which is being built for the tournament with a projected capacity of 115,000. The stadium is expected to become the world’s largest football-specific venue.
Morocco and Spain have been competing to host the 2030 World Cup final, with Spanish federation president Rafael Louzan saying earlier this month that Spain should stage the match. FIFA said in August that reports claiming President Gianni Infantino had promised the final to Morocco were “false and misleading”. Reuters said it had contacted FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation for comment.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with the opening three matches to be played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the centenary of the tournament. FIFA has yet to finalise all the cities that will host matches at the 2030 World Cup.