Feijoo threatens Spain could quit 2030 World Cup hosting if final goes to Morocco

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of Spain’s Partido Popular and a candidate in the general election scheduled for 29 November, says he would push for Spain to withdraw from hosting the 2030 World Cup if the final is not played in the country.

Spain, Portugal and Morocco will stage the tournament, with additional celebratory matches to be held in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to mark 100 years since the first World Cup.

Spain and Morocco are competing to host the final. Both countries want the decisive match to be played on their territory, but FIFA has not yet made a final decision on the venue.

Speaking on the programme El Chiringuito, Feijoo said Spain was the “natural” location for the last match of the 2030 tournament.

“Where should the 2030 World Cup final be played? Where it is fair, appropriate and beyond dispute: in Spain,” he said, in comments highlighted by Spanish newspaper Marca.

Feijoo said his position was based on three main arguments. He claimed Spain had demonstrated that it could successfully organise any major sporting event, and noted that Spain and Portugal had originally been the two countries in the World Cup hosting bid before Morocco was later invited to join.

His third reason was that Spain was “the leading power in the world” and the reigning World Cup holder in both the men’s and women’s game.

However, the Partido Popular leader went further than simply calling for Spain to stage the final. He said the country should reconsider its involvement in the tournament if its bid to host the match was unsuccessful.

“Spain must host the World Cup final. If it does not host it, then in my view Spain should not take part in organising the World Cup,” Feijoo said.

Asked directly whether he would withdraw Spain from hosting the competition if he became prime minister and Morocco was awarded the final, Feijoo gave a clear answer.

“Yes, the answer is yes,” he said.

The final decision on the venue remains unresolved, with Spain and Morocco continuing to seek the right to host the tournament’s concluding match.