Morocco has named Casablanca as the proposed venue for the 2030 World Cup final, according to the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa.
According to Reuters, Lekjaa announced the plan at a political party event in Bouznika, Morocco, on Thursday, although FIFA has yet to officially confirm the venue for the tournament’s showpiece match.
“The province of Benslimane will have the honour of hosting the 2030 World Cup final,” Lekjaa said, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
Benslimane, located about 60km from Casablanca, is the site of the $12 billion Hassan II Stadium, which is currently under construction for the tournament.
The proposed stadium is expected to have a capacity of 115,000 and could become the world’s largest football-specific venue.
Morocco and Spain have been competing to host the 2030 World Cup final, with Spanish federation president Rafael Louzan saying earlier this month that Spain should stage the highly anticipated fixture.
The race for the final venue has continued despite FIFA previously dismissing reports that its president, Gianni Infantino, had promised Morocco the right to host the match.
In August, FIFA described reports claiming that Infantino had already committed the final to Morocco as “false and misleading”.
Reuters said it had contacted FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation for comments on the latest development.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain. As part of celebrations marking 100 years of the tournament, the opening three matches will be played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
However, FIFA has yet to finalise all the cities that will host matches during the 2030 World Cup.
The final venue remains one of the major decisions still to be confirmed as preparations for the centenary edition of the tournament continue.
