Sánchez challenges Morocco and Infantino: a Spanish card turns the battle for the 2030 final upside down

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has vowed his government will do everything in its power to keep the 2030 World Cup final in Spain. He rejected any prospect of shifting the showpiece to Morocco, insisting his country deserves to stage the tournament’s biggest matches on home soil.

Speaking to Spanish network “SER” on Monday, Sanchez said his government “will work to ensure that the final is held here”. He was responding to a question about whether FIFA president Gianni Infantino might succeed in moving the match to Morocco, and he added that “the time has come for Spain to win the World Cup on its own soil”.

Sanchez built his case on his national team’s recent record. Spain won their first world title in South Africa in 2010, then claimed a second at this year’s edition hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Those triumphs, he argued, only strengthen the country’s claim to host the final.

La Roja lifted the trophy for the second time on 19 July, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time thanks to a Ferran Torres goal. It was a fitting follow-up to their 2010 success in South Africa.

Spain are co-hosting the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, with some matches spread across other countries to mark 100 years since the first edition.

Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will stage their opening matches at home in celebration of that centenary. The inaugural tournament was hosted by Uruguay in 1930, with every match played in the capital, Montevideo.

The venue for the final remains unsettled, but the fight to host it has taken on a political edge. Spain’s government has now openly entered the race, determined to keep the tournament’s biggest match on home soil.