Moroccan criticism of Lakjaa's statements about the 2030 World Cup final and developments in Arsenal

The Moroccan Prime Minister criticized the head of the local football federation after he announced that the 2030 World Cup final will be held in Casablanca, although the FIFA has not yet made this decision.

Aziz Akhannouch criticized Fawzi Lakjaa, who stated during a political party event that Ben Slimane Governorate will have the “honor” of hosting the final match of the edition being held in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

FIFA has not announced the location of the final in 2030, and a spokesman said that the decision will be made in due course.

At an election rally before the elections scheduled for the end of this month, Akhannouch demanded that no promises be made regarding the final match without consulting Spain and Portugal, calling for a commitment to “respect.”

The Moroccan Federation did not respond to a request for comment on Lakjaa’s statements.

As of May, construction of the proposed 115,000-seat stadium in Morocco for the 2030 World Cup was about 30 percent complete, and officials hope to complete construction by the end of 2027.

The state of New Jersey was chosen to host the 2026 final in July, and FIFA did not announce this decision until February 2024.

For its part, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) confirmed on Friday to Agence France-Presse that the venue for the 2030 World Cup final will be decided “at the appropriate time,” in response to Lakjaa’s statements.

Spain and Morocco, co-organizers of the 2030 edition along with Portugal, are competing for the honor of hosting the final match. Madrid is betting on the antiquity of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the stronghold of Real Madrid, while Rabat is counting on a project to build a new stadium with a capacity of about 115,000 spectators in Benslimane, on the outskirts of the economic capital, Casablanca.

In response to a question from Agence France-Presse, the International Federation confirmed on Friday that no decision has been taken yet.

A spokesman for the world football body said: “As announced on August 5, 2026, FIFA will make its decision in due course.”

As the issues of dispute between the two neighboring kingdoms increase, Lakjaa’s statements sparked reactions in Spain.

Real Madrid's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho was asked about the issue during a press conference on Friday, and he in turn expressed his support for the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium hosting the final match.

The Portuguese said: “I would have preferred that the final match be held in Lisbon, but I am already happy. Because a country like ours will host at least one match” in the World Cup.

He added: “If you can play in a legendary and historic stadium that witnessed the brilliance of some of the best players in history, and it is the club’s most important stadium in the history of football, then I believe that the final should be held here,” in Madrid.

He continued: “If I were Benfica’s coach, I would have told you exactly the same thing.”

Arsenal coach, Spanish Mikel Arteta, said that he was “very surprised” by the statements of Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, who claimed that he was forced to train alone, and did not receive any information before his move to Spanish champions Barcelona.

Jesus ended a four-year spell with Arsenal in September, and has since made clear that he was disappointed in the way the club dealt with his departure.

The Brazilian striker said in an interview this week that “suddenly, they asked me to train away from the group,” adding that “no one told me anything” before he signed with Barcelona.

In response to Jesus' criticism, Arteta insisted that he had spoken with the former Manchester City star about the transfer, and that they had parted on good terms.

He told reporters on Friday: “I was very surprised, frankly.” Especially since I spoke alone with Gabi (Jesus) in the locker room.”

He added: “I don’t know what words were said, and that’s okay. The words we used were all about gratitude.”

Arteta was also criticized by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, who recently said that he felt “uncomfortable” about what he considered a lack of communication between the club and Gabriel Martinelli, who moved to Al Hilal on September 3.

But Arteta cited the presence of Belgian Leandro Trossard, who moved to Turkish Besiktas in July, to follow Arsenal's victory over Chelsea last weekend, as an example of the strength of the relationship between the club and its former players.

“I don’t know, that’s okay,” Arteta said before the Premier League champions’ trip to face Sunderland on Saturday. Sometimes I understand that when you have to deliver bad news, or news that people are not expecting, someone has to play the bad guy. “If I have to do this role, I will do it, and I understand that.”

He added: “What is usually important is what happens after three or six months.” “When Trossard comes, he is in the dressing room with all of us, and you see the atmosphere and the relationship you have with him.”

He continued: “Thank God, until now, my relationship has been very good with all the players who left at some point. “I hope that will be the case in this case as well.”