Recent weeks have seen swirling speculation around the location of the 2030 FIFA World Cup final, a debate that has now put the three co-host nations — Spain, Portugal and Morocco — in the global spotlight. Following a controversial British media report claiming FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised the final slot to Morocco as part of a bid to retain his leadership position, the Spanish government has doubled down on its belief that the decisive match of the 2030 tournament belongs on Spanish soil.
In comments made to Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser on Wednesday evening, Spain’s newly appointed Sports Minister Milagros Tolón laid out the country’s case for hosting the final. Tolón emphasized that Spain is the only nation in the world that currently holds both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup titles, a unique credential that cements its status as a global leader in men’s and women’s soccer. She also noted that the original 2030 World Cup bid was first developed as a joint partnership between Spain and Portugal, with Morocco joining the co-host bid at a later stage of the bidding process. “We have many advantages and strengths as a country, and we deserve to host this historic final,” Tolón told reporters.
Morocco has already outlined its own ambitious plan to host the final at a purpose-built 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium currently under development near its largest city Casablanca. For Spain, two of the most iconic soccer venues in Europe are in the running to host: Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, which recently completed a major multi-million euro renovation, and FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which is also undergoing a massive expansion and upgrade to meet FIFA’s tournament requirements.
The controversy erupted earlier this month when a British media outlet published the unconfirmed claim that Infantino had offered the final slot to Morocco in exchange for support for his re-election as FIFA president. However, FIFA quickly pushed back against the report on Tuesday, issuing an official statement dismissing the claims as unfounded.
“It is false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final,” a FIFA spokesperson said in the statement, adding that “a decision will be made by FIFA in due course” through official governing body processes.
Tolón said the Spanish government was caught off guard by the initial unsubstantiated report, but noted that the official FIFA denial had cleared up much of the uncertainty. “We were surprised by the report, but the most important thing is that FIFA has already denied it,” she said.
A planned working meeting between Spanish officials and FIFA leadership is scheduled for September, where the two sides will continue discussions around Spain’s hosting plans for the final. “We are working closely with FIFA, and they have been very clear and emphatic in denying this unsubstantiated news. We will continue pushing forward with our bid because we want the 2030 World Cup final in Spain — and we believe it is where it belongs,” Tolón added.