Rabat – Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu has reportedly moved ahead of Morocco’s Grand Stade Hassan II in the race to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final, according to Spanish public broadcaster Radio Nacional de España.
RNE reported on Thursday that the Bernabéu is currently FIFA’s preferred option for the tournament’s showpiece match. The broadcaster also claimed that Morocco could instead be offered the right to stage the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
Neither FIFA nor the joint Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish organizing structure has officially confirmed either scenario.
RNE presented the possibility of Morocco hosting the Club World Cup as a way of recognizing the country’s growing role in international football should the 2030 final be awarded to Madrid. However, FIFA has not announced the host selection process or chosen a host for the 2029 tournament.
🚨¡EXCLUSIVA!
💣La FINAL del MUNDIAL 2030 se va a jugar en el SANTIAGO BERNABÉU
👉A cambio, la @FIFAcom le ofrecerá a Marruecos la organización del Mundial de Clubes de 2029
🎙️Te lo cuenta @PabloLopezRadio en @MediodiaRNE con @Freecanusa pic.twitter.com/Tl1QNbJNop
— RNE Deportes (@RNEdeportes) August 6, 2026
Brazil has also formally expressed interest in staging the 2029 Club World Cup, meaning any reported Moroccan offer would still require clarification regarding FIFA’s bidding and approval procedures
FIFA denies reported promise to Morocco
The RNE report followed a claim by British newspaper The Times that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised Morocco the 2030 final in exchange for political support as he attempts to secure another term in office.
FIFA categorically rejected that allegation, describing it as “false and misleading.” The governing body said Infantino had made no promise concerning the country or stadium that would stage the final and stressed that the decision would be taken in due course.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the Spanish Football Federation also said they did not know about such an arrangement.
The issue has become particularly sensitive because Infantino is seeking re-election at the FIFA Congress scheduled to take place in Rabat in March 2027.
His leadership has come under increased scrutiny following the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have allowed outside investors to acquire a stake in a new company managing FIFA’s commercial operations.
FIFA’s senior management reaffirmed its support for Infantino after an emergency meeting near Rabat this week, while acknowledging mistakes in how the abandoned commercial proposal was handled.
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