Morocco hosting 2030 World Cup final would be victory for all Africa – Fouzi Lekjaa

Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa says hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in Morocco would be a landmark achievement for the entire African continent, urging countries across Africa to unite behind the bid.

If Morocco is confirmed as the venue for the tournament’s showpiece match, it would become only the second African nation to stage a World Cup final, 20 years after South Africa hosted the 2010 final in Johannesburg.

Lekjaa described the prospect as more than a national success, saying it would represent a defining moment for African football and an opportunity to demonstrate the continent’s ability to deliver one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

“This is an opportunity for the entire continent,” Lekjaa said.

“All Africans must come together and support Morocco in delivering a historic World Cup and showing the world what Africa can achieve when we unite.”

A historic opportunity

The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, marking the first time the tournament will be staged across two continents. Three centenary celebration matches are also scheduled to take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to commemorate the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

While Morocco’s role as a co-host has already been confirmed, the venue for the final has yet to be officially announced by FIFA.

Should the final be awarded to Morocco, it would become the second World Cup final played on African soil after Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 at Soccer City in Johannesburg in 2010.

For many across the continent, such a decision would carry symbolic significance beyond football, reinforcing Africa’s growing influence in hosting major international sporting events.

Morocco’s long pursuit

Morocco’s involvement in the 2030 World Cup follows decades of persistence in pursuing football’s biggest tournament.

The North African nation unsuccessfully bid to host the competition five times before securing hosting rights as part of the three-country partnership with Spain and Portugal.

In recent years, Morocco has strengthened its reputation as one of Africa’s leading football nations, investing heavily in stadiums, training facilities and football infrastructure while hosting major continental and international competitions.

The country’s rise has also been reflected on the pitch, most notably when the Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

A continental ambition

Lekjaa’s comments frame Morocco’s ambitions as extending beyond national borders, presenting the possibility of hosting the final as a collective achievement for Africa.

He argued that the occasion would offer the continent a chance to showcase its organisational capacity, football culture and ability to unite around a shared historic moment.

For African football, a World Cup final in Morocco would represent another milestone in the continent’s growing presence on the global stage, building on the legacy of South Africa’s successful hosting of the tournament 20 years earlier.