A heated battle has erupted between co-hosts Morocco and Spain over who will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final with leaving football's governing body FIFA caught in the middle.
Fouzi Lekjaa the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation boldly declared on Thursday that the final will be held in Morocco. Addressing a political rally stated that the match would take place at the newly constructed $1-billion Hassan II stadium in Benslimane near Casablanca. Once completed the stadium will boast a massive 115,000-seat capacity also making it the largest football-specific venue in the world.
However the Spanish football chief Rafael Louzán strongly disagreed. He argued that Spain having recently won the 2026 World Cup also has earned the right to host the prestigious final with offering iconic venues like the home stadiums of Real Madrid or Barcelona. European football officials also broadly support keeping the final on the European continent.
Despite the growing public rivalry the FIFA has firmly clarified that no final decision has been made with stating the venue will be announced "in due course."
The 2030 World Cup will be a unique and multi-continent event primarily co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal with opening matches in South America. However this football dispute comes at a highly sensitive time.
Diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rabat are currently strained following a massive migrant border crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July which resulted in numerous casualties. This underlying political friction is now threatening to overshadow the collaborative spirit of the historic joint World Cup bid.
