La Liga president Tebas mocks FIFA’s ‘denial’ after Lekjaa’s Morocco World Cup final revelation

La Liga president Javier Tebas has launched a scathing attack on FIFA after the world governing body denied claims by Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa that Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup final.

The Moroccan football leader earlier revealed the North African country has be chosen to host the final of the global showpiece, triggering an immediate response from FIFA, insisting no final decision had been made regarding the venue.

“FIFA will make its final decision in due course,” a FIFA official said in response to Lekjaa’s comments.

Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, with the three countries having submitted a joint bid to stage the tournament.

Spain is also pushing to secure the prestigious final, with the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and Barcelona’s Camp Nou among the stadiums being considered as potential venues.

Tebas, however, has questioned FIFA’s denial and accused the organisation, under president Gianni Infantino, of repeatedly dismissing reports only for events to later unfold differently.

“FIFA, under Infantino’s leadership, is back to denying the news again. There is nothing new in that. Denial has become a habitual practice for this international federation, and now the idea of holding the 2030 World Cup in Morocco is considered incorrect and misleading.” He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The real problem lies in who said it. The person who said it is not a journalist, nor is it just a rumor that was circulated on social media. Rather, it is Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, and the Minister Delegate in charge of the budget in the Moroccan government,” he added.

Tebas questioned why FIFA would contradict Lekjaa, given his position within both Moroccan football and FIFA’s governing structure.

“Fouzi Lekjaa confirmed that the World Cup final will be held in Casablanca, Morocco, while FIFA denied it. So who is lying? Is it the president of the organizing federation of the tournament, a member of the FIFA Council itself, and a minister in the Moroccan government? Or should we believe FIFA’s denial under Infantino again?” Tebas asked.

The La Liga president then referred to the controversy surrounding the suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun during the last World Cup as an example of what he considers FIFA’s inconsistent messaging.

“We all know this tactic very well. During the World Cup, Trump contacted Infantino about the red card that Folarin Balogun received, and FIFA assured us at the time that this contact did not affect anything at all. Then suddenly the situation changed and Balogun was able to play,” he claimed.

Tebas continued his criticism with a sarcastic reference to FIFA’s repeated denials.

“Now FIFA is issuing another denial, and perhaps they will have to introduce a new section on their official website entitled: ‘Current Denial,’ with the publication date and, more importantly, the expiry date of this denial,” he said.

“When an organization like FIFA makes denials commonplace, there comes a moment when the problem is no longer about what the organization denies, but rather about who believes it.”

The controversy adds another layer to the ongoing debate over the hosting of the 2030 World Cup final, with Morocco, Spain and Portugal still awaiting clarity over which stadium will stage the tournament’s showpiece match.

Infantino has also faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks, with calls for him to resign or refrain from seeking another term as FIFA president ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for March next year.