FIFA has denied a report by British newspaper The Times claiming that President Gianni Infantino promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for its support ahead of the next FIFA presidential election.
“It is false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final,” FIFA said in a post on X, responding to a Times Sport report that alleged Infantino was seeking public statements of support from member associations as pressure mounted for him to resign.
The governing body added that the decision on the host venue for the 2030 World Cup final “will be made by FIFA in due course.”
On Wednesday, The Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that Infantino had promised Morocco the final would be held at the planned 115,000-seat Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca instead of Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The report also claimed that Infantino’s critics believe any such commitment would not be binding and could be reversed by a future FIFA president.
According to The Times, Morocco has been one of Infantino’s strongest supporters since his election in 2016, alleging that the country was rewarded with co-hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
The report comes as competition between Morocco and Spain to host the tournament’s final continues to intensify.
In Spain, some fans have called on the country to withdraw from co-hosting the tournament if Morocco is selected to stage the final.
Spanish conservative advocacy group HazteOir has argued that awarding the final to Morocco instead of Spain would amount to a national humiliation, saying Spain has the stronger claim based on its footballing history, sporting infrastructure, and the principle of continental rotation previously supported by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Moroccan officials, meanwhile, have argued that Casablanca would be a fair choice under FIFA’s principle of geographical balance, noting that Africa has hosted only one FIFA World Cup final, according to The Athletic.
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