Morocco Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa says the 2030 World Cup final will be played at the future Hassan II Stadium, despite FIFA yet to officially decide between the Moroccan venue and Madrid’s Santiago-Bernabeu.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Authenticity and Modernity Party in Bouznika, Lekjaa expressed strong confidence that Benslimane, near Casablanca, would host the tournament’s showpiece match. He also responded directly to reports from Spain that have repeatedly presented the Santiago-Bernabeu as the leading candidate.
“Every day, I hear Marca’s chatter,” Lekjaa said, in a clear reference to Spanish coverage of the contest for the final.
He went further by already imagining the match itself, making an apparent reference to Morocco’s meetings with France at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
However, Lekjaa’s comments do not represent an official FIFA announcement. The governing body has not yet confirmed which stadium will stage the final.
Morocco’s confidence is nevertheless based on what has been described as a significant shift in the balance between the two bids. In July, The Athletic reported that the Santiago-Bernabeu had once appeared certain to win the contest.
A source close to the Spanish bid said that, 18 months earlier, it had seemed “impossible” for the Bernabeu to lose the final. The same source acknowledged that Morocco’s position had since become considerably stronger.
Lekjaa has maintained for a year that the match will be held in Morocco. The country’s principal argument is the Grand Stade Hassan II, which is currently being built at Benslimane.
The stadium is expected to hold about 115,000 spectators, potentially making it one of the largest football venues in the world. Almost one billion euros is due to be invested in the project, alongside major road and railway improvements.
The new stadium also gives Morocco the opportunity to design a venue specifically around the requirements of a World Cup final from the outset.
Spain, meanwhile, can point to the Santiago-Bernabeu, a landmark stadium that has undergone a renovation costing about 1.5 billion euros. Madrid also has extensive experience of hosting major sporting events.
The Spanish bid is reported to have been weakened by crises affecting the RFEF and by institutional tensions. Lekjaa, by contrast, is president of the FRMF, a minister and a member of the FIFA Council, giving him considerable influence within international football’s governing structures.
Morocco can also make a symbolic case for hosting the final. Africa has staged only one men’s World Cup, in South Africa in 2010, and has therefore hosted just one final.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly organised by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with three commemorative matches taking place in South America.
FIFA’s final decision will determine whether Lekjaa’s confidence is justified. For now, he has made clear that his preferred destination is not Madrid, but Benslimane.