2030 FIFA World Cup: FIFA denies Lekjaa claim on Morocco final

Morocco’s claim to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final has been rejected as an official announcement by FIFA. Faouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, said that Benslimane province would stage the tournament’s decisive match. FIFA later said that no final decision had been made on either the city or the stadium.

Lekjaa made the statement on Thursday during an event with a political character. He presented the final as an honour for Benslimane province, saying: “The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the final of the 2030 World Cup.” His wording indicated that the location had already been settled, but FIFA’s response showed that the selection remains open.

The Moroccan federation president also spoke about the match he would like to see at the end of the tournament. He expressed the hope of a final between Morocco and France, describing it as an opportunity for Morocco to take revenge. That reference followed Morocco’s historic run at the 2022 World Cup, when the national team became the first African side to reach the semi-finals. The material does not establish that such a fixture is under consideration for 2030, and Lekjaa’s remark was framed as a wish rather than a confirmed schedule.

FIFA said that it had not yet chosen the venue for the final when contacted on Thursday. The governing body’s position covers both elements required for the announcement: the host city and the stadium. As a result, Benslimane’s identification by Lekjaa cannot be treated as a final allocation. The stadium intended to host the competition’s last match remains to be officially confirmed.

The uncertainty extends beyond the final. FIFA has also not officially designated every host city for the 2030 World Cup. That means the wider hosting map is still incomplete, even though the countries involved in the tournament are known. Morocco will co-host the competition with Spain and Portugal, giving the event a three-country European and African structure.

For Morocco, the dispute concerns more than the wording of one public statement. Hosting the final would place Benslimane at the centre of the first World Cup staged across Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Lekjaa’s announcement revealed the scale of Morocco’s ambitions for the tournament, but FIFA’s response underlined that ambition is not the same as an approved venue decision.

Benslimane is the province named in the announcement, rather than a location FIFA has formally confirmed for the final. The reports do not provide the name of a stadium, an alternative city, or a timetable for a decision. They also do not say whether the Moroccan, Spanish or Portuguese authorities have submitted a final venue arrangement that is still being assessed. Those details therefore remain unresolved.

The final venue will have to wait for a formal FIFA decision. Until that decision is made, Lekjaa’s statement remains an unconfirmed declaration rather than the official allocation of the 2030 World Cup final. The same applies to the complete list of host cities, which FIFA has yet to announce in full.