Rubiales Claims Morocco Agreed to Spain Hosting 2030 World Cup Final

Rabat – Former Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales has claimed that Morocco accepted conditions giving Spain the right to host the 2030 World Cup final during the early negotiations over the joint bid.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Informa Radio, Rubiales said Spain’s position was that it should stage the two most important matches of the tournament: the opening game and the final.

“The final had to be played in Spain,” he said, presenting the condition as non-negotiable.

According to Rubiales, the proposed distribution would also have given Spain one semifinal and two quarterfinal matches.

He claimed that Portugal supported the arrangement and that Morocco eventually accepted it during a meeting at UEFA headquarters.

Rubiales said the meeting brought together UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, former Portuguese Football Federation President Fernando Gomes, Royal Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa and himself.

The former RFEF chief described the agreement as verbal, saying the officials sealed it with a handshake. However, he did not refer to any written document confirming the alleged distribution of matches.

Neither Lekjaa, Čeferin, Gomes nor the federations involved have publicly confirmed Rubiales’ version of the meeting.

Rubiales’ account remains unverified

The public announcement issued when Morocco joined the Spain-Portugal project described the three countries as partners in a joint bid. It did not announce an agreement reserving the final or other major matches for Spain.

FIFA has officially appointed Morocco, Portugal and Spain as the main co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each staging one centenary celebration match.

However, football’s governing body has not officially selected the stadium that will host the final.

That decision remains the subject of growing competition between Morocco and Spain, with both countries seeking to stage the tournament’s most prestigious match.

Morocco is positioning the Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca as a leading candidate, while Spanish officials have promoted venues including the Santiago Bernabéu and the renovated Camp Nou.

Reports in both countries acknowledge that FIFA has yet to make a final decision.

Morocco’s growing position

Rubiales presented Morocco’s entry into the bid as something Spain accepted under conditions.

However, Morocco is now an officially appointed co-host with major infrastructure projects and a growing position within international football.

The country’s preparations include the construction and renovation of stadiums, transport networks and training facilities ahead of 2030.

Morocco’s candidacy to host the final has gained momentum around the Grand Stade Hassan II project, which is expected to provide a larger capacity than the principal Spanish candidates once completed.

Rubiales also criticized the decision to stage the centenary matches in South America, claiming it changed the initial distribution discussed before he left the Spanish federation.

He accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of playing important roles in that change, although he provided no public evidence supporting the allegation.

FIFA’s confirmed arrangement gives Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay one commemorative match each before the competition continues primarily in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

Rubiales’ comments add a new and disputed account to the negotiations surrounding the 2030 tournament. For now, his claims represent only his version of events, while the allocation of the final remains officially undecided.