Morocco, confirmed earlier this month by FIFA as a joint-host of the 2030 World Cup finals with Portugal and Spain, has announced costly stadium plans and says it hopes to stage the final.
But that ambition is being opposed by Spain, which has its own plans to stage the final either at Barcelona’s Nou Camp or Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, which hosted the 1982 final between Italy and West Germany.
The dispute looks like remaining between two of the three nations, as FIFA rules state that a final must be held in a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000 and the largest stadium in Portugal holds only 65,000.
Morocco’s Government, in partnership with Group CDG, has committed around £1.6 billion to refurbish six stadiums in Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, Marrakech, and Fez, along with the construction of a new 90,000 capacity stadium in Benslimane.
This funding aims to ensure that the stadiums meet the standards that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set for the 2025 AFCON, as well as the requirements FIFA has set for the 2030 World Cup.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Head of Morocco’s Football Federation, admitted that the goal was for the final to be in Casablanca.
He told a local radio station that he hoped to see the country’s efforts “crowned – god willing – with celebrations in Casablanca stadium at a historic final”.
Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has claimed the final should be played at his club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The Presidents of the Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish football federations have agreed to present their formal letter of joint intent to FIFA on Saturday in Rabat.
Portugal’s Fernando Gomes, Spain’s Pedro Rocha and Lekjaa met in Lisbon to agree on the timing of the first requirement of the application process.
After Morocco’s five failed attempts to become World Cup hosts, the confirmation of its inclusion in 2030 – replacing Ukraine as a co-partner earlier this year – was well-timed to lift spirits in the North African country a month after the earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people.
FIFA are still yet to decide how many games will be held in the three host nations, although they have announced that, to mark the centenary of a tournament first held in Uruguay, the first three games will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – who with Chile were unsuccessful bidders for this edition of the finals.
The 2026 World Cup with 48 teams will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
—Insidethegames.biz
