Rabat – Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida has expressed doubts about his city’s chances of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup final, arguing that Morocco is actively seeking to bring the match to Casablanca.
Speaking during an event in Zaragoza on Tuesday, Almeida said he was concerned about what he described as a lack of visible action from the Spanish government to secure the final for Madrid.
“I am not optimistic,” Almeida said, explaining that Morocco’s ambition to host the final was legitimate and that he believed the country was taking political and institutional steps to achieve that objective.
The mayor, a member of Spain’s opposition People’s Party, contrasted those efforts with what he said was an absence of communication from the Spanish government.
“I have no proof or evidence that the Spanish government is moving in the same direction,” he said.
Almeida added that Madrid’s municipal authorities had not received information about any government initiatives intended to secure the final.
Almeida questions Spain’s approach
The mayor argued that Madrid should host the final, pointing to the city’s involvement in the original World Cup project.
He recalled that Spain and Portugal initially developed the joint hosting proposal before Morocco joined the bid.
Almeida warned that a decision to stage the final outside Madrid should have consequences, although he acknowledged that he was not responsible for determining the future of the tournament.
His remarks come despite public statements from Spanish football officials supporting the country’s ambitions.
On September 16, Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán argued that Spain had the credentials to host the final and announced that FIFA President Gianni Infantino would visit Madrid in the autumn to discuss preparations.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also publicly expressed his government’s intention to work toward staging the final in Spain.
FIFA has not selected the final venue
The competition to host the final remains unresolved.
Morocco is promoting the Grand Stade Hassan II, currently under construction near Casablanca, while Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu is among Spain’s proposed venues.
Moroccan football federation president Fouzi Lekjaa previously expressed confidence that the match would take place in Casablanca. However, FIFA responded that the decision would be made in due course.
Morocco, Spain and Portugal will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, with three centenary matches scheduled in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Read also: Lekjaa: ‘Africa Has the Right to Host a World Cup Final for the Second Time’
