The final of the soccer World Cup in the summer of 2030, which will mainly be co-organized by Spain, Portugal and Morocco – although Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the … first matches of their teams as a tribute to the centenary of the first edition of the tournament on South American lands – will be played in a Spanish stadium. This was stated this Monday by the president of the Spanish Football Federation (FEF), Rafael Louzán, during an awards gala organized by the Madrid sports press.
“Spain will lead the World Cup and the final will be held here,” declared the top federation leader, although without specifying whether the chosen stadium will be the Santiago Bernabéu – the home of Real Madrid -, which was given as a great favorite in practically all bets. However, the Moroccan football establishment was also fighting for what would be the first World Cup final for their country to be hosted by one of the new fields of the neighboring State, which plans to make a multimillion-dollar investment for the largest national team tournament, with a series of new first-rate stadiums.
In this sense, the head of the FEF made reference to the organizational problems that were seen in the recent African Cup precisely organized by its World Cup partner in the 2030 event. First he assessed the neighboring country. “Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, some magnificent stadiums.” But he immediately criticized him with some statements that the authorities of the Alawite kingdom probably do not like: “We must recognize what has been done well, but in the Cup we have seen scenes that harm the image of world football.”
It depends on FIFA
In any case, he wanted to highlight the role of Spain, which “has an organizational capacity demonstrated for many years” and, as he highlighted, is working so that within five years we can see “the best World Cup in history, the one of the centenary.” What is not clear, nor did the president clarify it, is who in charge of FIFA, the main authority in international football, has already been able to reliably confirm that the final of the aforementioned tournament will be played on Spanish soil and not in those of its Moroccan neighbor, which is also fighting for it vigorously.
It is also not the first time that Rafael Louzán publicly anticipates the official confirmation of international organizations to make an announcement that affects Spanish football. This time it has to do with FIFA, but months ago he did it with UEFA – the party responsible for European football – by telling the press that the 2027 Champions League final would be held at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, a stadium owned by Atlético de Madrid.
Eleven of the 20 stadiums of the 2030 World Cup will be in Spanish territory: Madrid (Bernabéu and Metropolitano), Barcelona (Spotify Camp Nou and the RCDE Stadium), Seville (La Cartuja), Bilbao (San Mamés), San Sebastián (Reale Arena), Málaga (La Rosaleda), Zaragoza (La Nueva Romareda), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria Stadium) and La Coruña. Morocco will put up six (Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir and Fez) and Portugal, three: Da Luz, José Alvalade and Do Dragao, in Lisbon and Porto. The formal decision on the venues for the final and the opening day will not be made until this year, which had opened a double front between Spain and Morocco, and between the Bernabéu and the Camp Nou.
Doubt with the Cup
At the same sports gala this Monday, the president of the FEF said that this year’s Copa del Rey final will be played on the weekend of April 18 and 19. However, it remains to be seen if it will be on Saturday or Sunday, depending on calendar reasons according to the two teams that arrive there.
