FIFA appears to favor the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid to host the final match for the much-anticipated 2030 World Cup instead of Morocco’s Grand Stadium in Casablanca, an arena crafted specifically for this global sporting spectacle, according to Spanish outlet “Marca.”
Moroccan senior officials presented the new Casablanca stadium in Barcelona last month. The joint bid from Morocco, Spain, and Portugal for the 2030 World Cup has yet to determine the location of the final. Still, Portugal, with its largest stadium, the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, falls short of the minimum capacity requirement of 80,000 seats, with only 64,642 seats available.
However, recent institutional issues within the Spanish Football Federation are dampening FIFA’s enthusiasm. Additionally, organizing the final at the Santiago Bernabéu would require several months of preparation, during which Real Madrid would be unable to use their stadium.
Considering the financial stakes, FIFA is keen to reach an agreement with the Madrid leadership. The excellent relationship between Florentino Perez, President of Real Madrid, and Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, should help to facilitate the negotiations.
This situation complicates the position of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which started the construction of the Grand Stadium of Casablanca after the announcement of hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup. The new stadium has a capacity of 115,000 seats, the initial goal was to host the final of the 2030 World Cup.