FIFA delegation to visit six Moroccan cities ahead of 2030 World Cup

FIFA will visit Morocco in November and December as part of an inspection tour of the three countries co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, with preparations for the tournament and the selection of venues under assessment.

The delegation will visit candidate host cities in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, meeting representatives of local, regional and national authorities while inspecting stadiums proposed for the competition.

In Morocco, the inspection will cover Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier, as the North African country continues preparations for its role in the tournament.

FIFA said the visits would help assess the suitability of proposed venues before decisions are made on the final selection of host cities and stadiums.

“The site visits aim to support the assessment of each candidate host city and stadium against FIFA’s hosting requirements,” the press release stated.

The inspection forms part of the ongoing planning process for the tournament, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

Morocco’s stadiums under FIFA scrutiny

Alongside Morocco, the FIFA delegation will inspect proposed host cities in Spain, including Bilbao, Barcelona, Las Palmas, Seville, Zaragoza and San Sebastián.

The team will also visit Lisbon and Porto in Portugal as the three countries continue preparations for the global showpiece.

FIFA explained that the inspection findings would contribute to decisions on the venues to be selected for the competition.

“The number and type of matches to be held at each venue will only be determined once the host cities have been confirmed, as part of the match schedule development process,” FIFA added.

The governing body also reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with stakeholders across the three co-host nations as preparations progress.

Morocco and Spain compete to host 2030 World Cup final

The inspection comes amid growing attention on the race to host the 2030 World Cup final, with Morocco and Spain both seeking to stage the tournament’s showpiece match.

On Wednesday, Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) president Fouzi Lekjaa said the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane, near Casablanca, would be ready in early 2028.

Speaking on Moroccan television channel 2M, Lekjaa expressed confidence in the stadium’s prospects of hosting the final, highlighting its planned capacity, modern design and compliance with international safety and sustainability standards.

The proposed venue is central to Morocco’s ambition of hosting one of the biggest matches in world football.

However, Spanish reports have suggested that the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid remains a strong contender for the final.

Reports of alternative tournament plans rejected by FIFA

In August, Spanish broadcaster Radio Nacional de España reported that the Bernabéu had moved ahead of the Moroccan stadium in the contest to host the final.

The broadcaster also claimed Morocco could instead be offered the opportunity to host the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Those reports followed allegations that FIFA president Gianni Infantino had promised Morocco the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for political support as he seeks another term in office.

FIFA rejected the allegations, maintaining that the decision on the final venue would be made in due course.

The upcoming inspection tour will allow FIFA to assess the proposed stadiums and host cities across the three countries, although the final allocation of matches remains undecided.