2030 World Cup: Morocco’s "pharaonic" project that is shaking Spain

Morocco has embarked on an ambitious race against Spain to host the 2030 World Cup final. The kingdom is betting everything on the future Hassan II stadium in Casablanca. This mega-infrastructure, whose construction is scheduled to be completed by 2028, will be able to accommodate 115,000 spectators. This record figure would make it the venue with the largest capacity in the world, slightly exceeding the stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.

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Faced with this excess, the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid remains the favorite. Already operational, it has state-of-the-art technology with a capacity of 84,000 seats. While Madrid has the advantage of experience having already hosted the 1982 final, the stadium faces local protests over noise pollution. For its part, the Camp Nou in Barcelona, currently undergoing renovation, seems to be lagging behind in the organization of the final match.

According to the media El Diario, this dispute goes beyond the realm of football to take on a geopolitical dimension. The relationship between FIFA leaders and the president of Real Madrid could weigh in the balance. For his part, the mayor of the Spanish capital insists on the technical criteria of his city, while fearing that extra-sporting decisions may favor the Moroccan candidacy.

However, the Moroccan option must contend with recent precedents. The organization of the last Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco was marked by a stormy final against Senegal. After a disputed penalty, the Senegalese team left the field before returning. Although Morocco was declared the winner by default three months later, this affair remains before the courts today, somewhat tarnishing the country’s sporting image.

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Spain is not exempt from controversies either. FIFA has recently opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish federation after racist chants during a match against Egypt in Barcelona. Despite these incidents on both sides, the two countries maintain their pressure. Morocco hopes that its record hosting capacity and massive investment will make the difference against the already ready infrastructure of its Spanish neighbor.