FIFA denies Morocco was promised 2030 World Cup final

FIFA has firmly rejected claims that Morocco has been guaranteed the 2030 World Cup final, despite comments from senior Moroccan football official Fouzi Lekjaa that the match would be played at the Hassan II Grand Stadium in Casablanca.

The proposed venue is still under construction. FIFA’s statement has reopened questions over the bidding process for the tournament and the use of the World Cup as part of a wider power struggle within football’s governing body.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, which quoted a FIFA spokesperson, the organisation issued a brief response: “As announced on 5 August 2026, FIFA will take a decision in due course.”

Lekjaa, one of the most influential figures in Moroccan football and also deputy minister of finance, made his comments during an electoral gathering held by the liberal Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), which is campaigning today.

His statement was not the first claim linking Morocco to the tournament’s most important fixture. Exactly one month earlier, on 5 August, The Times published a report alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino had offered Morocco the right to host the final in exchange for its support.

FIFA responded at the time by saying: “It is incorrect and misleading to claim that the FIFA President has made any promises regarding the location of the FIFA World Cup 2030 final.”

One month later, the governing body has been required to repeat the same response, word for word, in reaction to comments from the same person.

The latest dispute comes amid internal tensions at FIFA over a controversial proposal to sell a share of future World Cup revenues to private investors. That plan was eventually abandoned after strong opposition from European and Asian football associations.

The Times previously interpreted FIFA’s increased engagement with Morocco as part of a battle to retain control and secure the support of African nations before the presidential election due to take place in Rabat.

The 2030 World Cup will be staged across six countries for the first time. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the vast majority of the matches, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will stage the opening three games in tribute to the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Montevideo in 1930.

FIFA has not yet formally announced how the stadiums will be allocated among the three main host countries. The venue for the final therefore remains undecided, with claims that Morocco has been selected amounting, at this stage, to premature electoral promises.