Morocco has announced Casablanca as its proposed venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup final, with the country’s football federation president, Fouzi Lekjaa, saying the showpiece match will be staged at the planned Hassan II Stadium.
Lekjaa made the announcement at a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco, on Thursday, although FIFA has yet to officially confirm the venue for the final.
“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
Benslimane, located about 60 kilometres from Casablanca, is the site of the $12 billion Hassan II Stadium, which is being constructed for the tournament with a projected capacity of 115,000 spectators.
If completed as planned, the facility would become the world’s largest football-specific stadium.
Morocco and Spain have been competing to host the tournament’s final, with Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzan recently insisting that Spain should stage the match.
However, FIFA said in August that reports claiming its president, Gianni Infantino, had promised the final to Morocco were “false and misleading.”
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will host the opening three matches as part of celebrations marking the tournament’s centenary.
FIFA has yet to officially finalise all the cities and venues that will host matches during the 2030 World Cup.
