Doha – The debate on which venue should host the 2030 World Cup final is still ongoing, with Morocco’s stadiums emerging as possible contenders against Spain’s Santiago Bernabéu, if Barcelona officials could choose.
The Spanish media has recently cast doubts on the Santiago Bernabéu’s ability to host the 2030 World Cup final, while highlighting Morocco’s growing influence in the joint bid with Spain and Portugal.
According to David Escudé, the Councilor of Sports for the Barcelona City Council, “The rival of Camp Nou for hosting the 2030 World Cup final is not the Bernabéu, but the new stadium being built in Casablanca (Morocco).”
The Santiago Bernabéu stadium hosts Real Madrid, the hated rival of FC Barcelona.
In an interview with Catalunya Ràdio’s ‘Tot Costa’ program, Escudé asserted that the Santiago Bernabéu would not meet FIFA’s capacity requirements for hosting a World Cup final, which stipulate a net seating capacity of 80,000 spectators, excluding press seats.
Escudé emphasized that the under-construction Hassan II stadium in Casablanca, with a capacity of 115,000, and the future Spotify Camp Nou, similarly under construction, with 105,000 seats, would both meet FIFA’s criteria.
“Today, according to FIFA requirements, the Bernabéu could not host a World Cup final, but the stadium being built in Morocco could,” he stated.
In fact, Hassan II stadium in Casablanca is set to become the world’s largest football stadium, surpassing the current record holder, the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, which has a capacity of 114,000.
In August, reports emerged that Morocco had overshadowed Spain in the preparations for the 2030 World Cup joint bid.
Despite previous claims by Spanish media that FIFA favored the Bernabéu for the final, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) stressed that no final decisions had been made regarding the allocation of matches or geographical distribution of games.
Spanish media outlet Relevo reported that Morocco has “eaten” Spain in the 2030 World Cup bid preparations, largely dictating the terms while Spain, initially considered the strongest partner, has had the least influence. A source from the project bluntly stated, “Morocco has eaten Spain.”
The report highlighted the challenges faced by Spanish football, including scandals, lack of leadership, and controversies, which have hindered Spain’s ability to assert its position against Morocco and its Royal Family, who have closely monitored each move to protect their interests.
According to El Confidential, if the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) does not have a president before the end of the year, it will be suspended.
This suspension could result in Spanish clubs being excluded from European competitions and the national team being barred from European Championships and World Cups. This warning also extends to the organization of the 2030 World Cup.
Read also: Morocco Unveils Design of Casablanca Stadium Vying to Host 2030 World Cup Final
