<\/p>\n
The race to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final is intensifying, with Morocco and Spain stepping up their efforts to secure the tournament\u2019s showcase event.<\/p>\n
According to The Athletic, citing sources familiar with Morocco\u2019s World Cup preparations, Moroccan officials believe it would be \u201cfairer\u201d for Casablanca to host the final, pointing to FIFA\u2019s principle of geographical balance and the fact that Africa has hosted only one World Cup final.<\/p>\n
At the center of Morocco\u2019s bid is the Grand Stade Hassan II, a 115,000-seat stadium under construction near Casablanca that would become the largest football venue in the tournament and surpass Madrid\u2019s Santiago Bernab\u00e9u by roughly 30,000 seats.<\/p>\n
The stadium, which Moroccan authorities expect to complete by the end of 2027, is already about 30% finished, with around 40% of its seating structure in place.<\/p>\n
The project is backed by approximately \u20ac1 billion in government funding and forms part of a broader infrastructure push that includes new rail and highway links connecting Casablanca and Rabat. Moroccan officials have presented the development as a key component of King Mohammed VI\u2019s strategy to position the kingdom as a global football hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cStade Hassan II is completely new. It\u2019s easier to adapt to FIFA\u2019s needs. Everything they ask for, they can have,\u201d Yassir Soussi, director general of Morocco\u2019s National Agency for Public Facilities, previously told Spanish media.<\/p>\n
The Athletic reported that FIFA may favor a venue where it can exercise greater operational control, a factor that could strengthen Morocco\u2019s case.<\/p>\n
The report noted that Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and a government minister, enjoys direct access to Morocco\u2019s political leadership, while Spain\u2019s preparations have been complicated by tensions between the government and the Spanish football federation.<\/p>\n
\u201cLosing the 2030 final to Morocco was a big concern among the delegates at the Spanish federation\u2019s annual assembly in Madrid on June 30,\u201d the outlet quoted an industry source as saying.<\/p>\n
The debate has been further fueled by Spanish media reports claiming that U.S. President Donald Trump was privately backing Morocco\u2019s bid because of Washington\u2019s close ties with Rabat.<\/p>\n
However, those claims remain unverified. Neither FIFA nor the White House has commented publicly, and no evidence has emerged to substantiate the allegations.<\/p>\n
The speculation followed FIFA\u2019s decision to overturn the suspension of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun after his red card in the Round of 32. Spanish media linked the decision to a reported call from Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, although FIFA has not confirmed the account.<\/p>\n