Morocco says 2030 World Cup final will be played at Hassan-II stadium in Benslimane

The 2030 World Cup final is still at the heart of the debates. Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget of Morocco, affirms in any case that it will be played in his country, in the heart of the future Hassan-II stadium in Benslimane (near Casablanca). The man, who is also president of the Moroccan Federation, made this announcement on Wednesday during a political meeting organized in Bouznika, in the middle of the campaign for the legislative elections of September 23.

“Benslimane province will have the honor of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said. While the gigantic Hassan-II stadium is currently under construction. With its 115,000 seats and an estimated cost of nearly half a billion euros, the venue must become one of the symbols of the World Cup organized jointly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

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Fifa has not yet made anything official

But the Moroccan announcement is far from putting an end to the discussions. It even intervenes in a particularly sensitive context with Spain. A few days earlier, Rafael Louzan, president of the Spanish Federation, assured that he would not “understand” if the final was not organized in Spain, while diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat remained strong around Ceuta.

And above all, Fifa has still not officially decided on the final list of host cities or the location of the final. The international body had even recently denied reports according to which Gianni Infantino had promised the organization of the final in Morocco, describing them as “false and misleading”.

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to take place in six countries and three continents, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay for the first three matches, before Morocco, Spain and Portugal take over. By already affirming that Benslimane will host the final, Lekjaa therefore above all places Morocco on the front line in a battle which is, officially, not yet decided.