Spain’s AS Claims Bernabéu Remains Favorite to Host 2030 World Cup Final

Rabat – Spanish media coverage of the 2030 World Cup final continues to intensify after Royal Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa declared that the Hassan II Stadium in Beslimane would host the tournament’s showpiece match. 

Lekjaa made the declaration during a political gathering in Benslimane, presenting the planned 115,000-capacity stadium as the venue for the tournament’s decisive match. 

FIFA subsequently rejected any suggestion that the venue had already been determined, saying the decision would be made at a later stage. 

AS points to Bernabéu

AS has now weighed in on the dispute, reporting that the current outlook still favors Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu. 

The Spanish outlet said Casablanca and Barcelona could instead host the two semifinals under the scenario it outlined.

AS also recalled that the original three-country bid involving Morocco, Spain, and Portugal included a roadmap in which the Bernabéu was identified for the showpiece match. 

“Real Madrid and Gianni Infantino long ago formed an unwritten agreement based on the conviction that the final should be played at the Madrid stadium,” the report stated. 

It comes at a particularly sensitive moment, after competing statements from Moroccan and Spanish football officials have brought the venue dispute into the spotlight.

RFEF President Rafael Louzán has also insisted that Spain should host the final, while acknowledging that FIFA has not yet made an official decision.

The Moroccan case

Morocco has built its argument around the Hassan II Stadium, which is currently under construction in the Benslimane province near Casablanca.

The planned venue is expected to accommodate approximately 115,000 spectators, making it significantly larger than the Bernabéu and positioning it as the centerpiece of Morocco’s World Cup infrastructure plans.

The country has also invested heavily in the wider project. The Athletic previously reported that Morocco had committed around €1 billion in public funding to the stadium project, alongside major transport investments aimed at improving links between the venue, Casablanca, and Rabat.

Moroccan officials have repeatedly made clear that their ambition extends beyond simply hosting World Cup matches. 

The Hassan II Stadium has been presented as a potential venue for the tournament’s biggest fixture, with Lekjaa now publicly stating that the final will take place there.

In due course 

Ultimately, neither Lekjaa’s announcement nor Spain’s position determines where the 2030 final will be played.

FIFA remains responsible for the tournament’s final venue selection and has said that an official decision will be announced in due course. 

AS’s latest assessment puts the Bernabéu ahead of the Hassan II Stadium for now, but Morocco’s campaign has ensured that the final venue is no longer being treated as a straightforward choice.

With the Hassan II Stadium rising in Benslimane and Spain continuing to back its own venues, the battle for the 2030 World Cup final is likely to remain a major talking point until FIFA makes its decision.