The Times: Infantino offered Morocco 2030 World Cup final in return for support

Gianni Infantino reportedly offered Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final in an attempt to secure public backing as pressure on the FIFA president continues to grow.

According to The Times, the proposal was linked to Infantino’s efforts to strengthen his support within FIFA. Morocco is among the hosts of the 2030 tournament and is understood to want the final to be played at the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca.

The venue is expected to become the largest stadium in the world, with a projected capacity of up to 115,000 spectators.

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while a number of matches will be held in South America.

Infantino is facing widespread criticism over an earlier plan concerning the sale of World Cup rights. That proposal created significant controversy across the football community and has intensified scrutiny of his leadership.

Reports have also suggested that Infantino is concerned about losing support from some countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup.

Former Real Madrid and Barcelona player Luis Figo has strongly criticised Infantino’s conduct. He said: “This is the worst, most deceitful and selfish behaviour I have ever seen in my life.”

Figo added: “Infantino has damaged the position of FIFA president, which he promised to develop, and his actions do not serve football.”

He continued: “There is still time to save the game, and he must leave now.”

Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, said he had not been involved in the plan. “I was not aware of this project until I read about it in the media,” he said.

Wenger added: “The decision to withdraw the project was necessary, and I believe there must be an independent FIFA that serves football transparently.”

The controversy surrounding Infantino’s future continues, with calls for his resignation increasing and football associations expected to clarify their positions in the coming period.

UEFA had previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, in opposition to the plan. The European governing body later withdrew that threat after the proposal was abandoned.

CONCACAF also criticised FIFA’s handling of the crisis in an official statement. The confederation formally rejected FIFA’s proposal, while the Asian Football Confederation also announced its opposition.

The Confederation of African Football, meanwhile, said its executive committee would hold a meeting to assess FIFA’s proposed “FIFA Forward Enterprise” initiative.

FIFA had proposed selling about 20% of a new entity responsible for managing its competitions, including the World Cup, for a sum that could reach $4.2bn. The organisation later abandoned the proposal following a major wave of criticism.

UEFA had previously announced that its national teams would boycott FIFA competitions “as long as these proposals remain in place”. The decision was part of the wider dispute over the plan, which has prompted concerns about FIFA’s independence, transparency and the way its competitions are administered.