FIFA to decide 2030 World Cup final venue as late as 2028

The stadium for the 2030 World Cup final may not be confirmed until 2028, according to Mundo Deportivo, with Morocco and Spain continuing their contest to host the tournament’s showpiece match.

The World Cup will be jointly staged by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, but FIFA has not yet selected the venue for the final. Three stadiums are viewed as the leading candidates: the future Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, Real Madrid’s Santiago-Bernabeu in Madrid and FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou.

Spain and Morocco have stepped up their public efforts to secure the fixture in recent months, although no official decision has been made.

Rafael Louzan, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), reiterated on Wednesday that Spain would seek to host the final, specifically mentioning the Santiago-Bernabeu and Camp Nou.

“We will try to hold it in one of the two great stadiums,” he said, adding that he believed the World Cup should finish in Spain.

That position contrasts with comments made by Fouzi Lekjaa in September, when the president of the Moroccan Football Federation said the final would be played in Morocco. FIFA responded at the time by stressing that no decision had been reached and that it would make its choice “in due time”.

Morocco’s main argument is the Grand Stade Hassan II, which is currently under construction in Benslimane, in the Casablanca region. The stadium is expected to accommodate 115,000 spectators and has been designed in part to meet the requirements of a World Cup final.

Morocco also has the backing of Africa, including Senegal, during the dispute between the two countries that has continued since the Africa Cup of Nations final.

However, the decision is not expected soon. Mundo Deportivo reports that FIFA could wait until 2028 to officially name the stadium, just two years before the tournament begins.

The report refers to the precedent of the 2026 World Cup. The United States, Canada and Mexico were awarded the right to stage that competition in 2018, but the venue for the final was not announced until February 2024.

FIFA eventually selected MetLife Stadium, in the New York-New Jersey region, slightly more than two years before the tournament’s opening match.

A similar timetable could therefore be followed for 2030. Despite repeated claims in recent weeks from both Morocco and Spain, Casablanca, Madrid and Barcelona all remain in contention.

The final decision rests with FIFA.