Lekjaa claims Casablanca will host 2030 World Cup final
Morocco's federation chief said the Hassan II Stadium will stage the 2030 final, but FIFA quickly denied any decision had been made, calling it premature.
FIFA denied on Wednesday that it had decided to hold the 2030 World Cup final at the new Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca, contradicting a statement by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
Lekjaa made the claim at a political rally in Bouznika, part of his campaign ahead of Morocco's parliamentary elections. He also serves as the Country's deputy minister for budget.
"The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the World Cup final in 2030. Those who want to be part of the next government have no choice but to develop the province," Lekjaa said.
The Hassan II Stadium is still under construction and is expected to hold 115,000 spectators once finished. A FIFA spokesperson pushed back on the same day.
"As already communicated on 5 August 2026, FIFA will make its decision in due course," the FIFA spokesperson said.
FIFA also rejected a separate claim that had circulated since August: that president Gianni Infantino had privately promised Morocco the final in exchange for support for his re-election in March 2027. The Times had already dismissed that report as false before Wednesday's rally.
The 2030 World Cup will be staged across Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay marking the centenary of the first World Cup in 1930. Spain's own federation, the RFEF, has argued that the final should go to Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu, which remains in contention alongside the Moroccan bid.
FIFA's decision, whenever it comes, will settle a question three federations have now tried to answer on its behalf. Until then, Lekjaa's remarks look more like a domestic campaign pitch than a confirmed venue.
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