World Cup 2030: Spain threatens to withdraw if Morocco is awarded the final

The battle for the 2030 World Cup final is taking an unexpected turn. While Morocco is promoting the bid of the future Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, Spain is reportedly considering a radical response if FIFA decided to take away the competition’s most prestigious match.

The Spanish Royal Football Federation (RFEF) is reportedly studying the possibility of withdrawing from hosting duties if the final is held neither in Madrid nor in Barcelona.

At this stage, the threat has not been the subject of any official announcement by the RFEF. But it comes as its president, Rafael Louzán, publicly hardens his stance.

“We would not understand it if we did not have the World Cup final,” he said on Tuesday. The Spanish official points out that his country will host approximately 55% of the tournament’s matches and believes it has the infrastructure and experience necessary to host the final.

A few hours earlier, Louzán had already stated at a UEFA conference in Madrid that “Spain must host the final,” particularly highlighting the guarantees offered by the country in terms of security and organization.

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Morocco has nevertheless considerably strengthened its position in this battle. Its main argument is the Grand Stade Hassan II under construction near Casablanca, whose announced capacity will reach 115,000 seats.

FIFA has still not chosen between Morocco and Spain

For a long time, the Santiago Bernabéu seemed practically certain to host the World Cup’s final match. The Spanish press itself still presented Madrid as the obvious choice at the beginning of the year.

But the balance of power has gradually shifted in Morocco’s favor. The investments made by Rabat, the exceptional capacity of the future Casablanca stadium and the influence gained by Moroccan football within international institutions have transformed what seemed settled into a genuine competition.

The matter became even more sensitive in early August. Press reports had then claimed that Gianni Infantino might support awarding the final to Morocco amid his tensions with certain European federations.

FIFA immediately denied this. Questioned by the EFE news agency, sources within the organization described as “false and misleading” the claims that Infantino had already promised the final to the kingdom. They specified that the decision would be made at a later date.

In other words, Casablanca and Madrid officially remain in the race.

This uncertainty partly explains the multiplication of statements from Spain. As early as July, Rafael Louzán asserted that there was no reason for the final to elude Spain. His tone is now even firmer.

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A possible withdrawal by Spain would nevertheless represent an extremely serious scenario. The 2030 World Cup was jointly awarded to Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with three centenary matches scheduled in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Spain is to host the majority of the matches and provides several of the main stadiums in the setup.

The mere fact that such a scenario is now being discussed shows just how much the Moroccan bid worries Madrid. Four years before the tournament, the competition is no longer being played out solely between the Bernabéu and the Grand Stade Hassan II. It has become a genuine showdown between the two main host countries of the 2030 World Cup.