Spain risks losing its role in the 2030 tournament if denied the final match, Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida warned.
Speaking during a visit to the ‘Reyes del Mundo’ exhibition at the capital’s city hall, Martínez-Almeida argued that stripping Spain of the showcase match would directly insult the country. The 2030 tournament is jointly organized by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with Morocco pushing to host the final in a new Casablanca stadium.
Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will also serve as sub-hosts as a tribute to the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup, which was held entirely in Montevideo in 1930. The tournament will follow the 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where La Roja will defend its crown.
“The final has to be here,” Martínez-Almeida said, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. “The initiative was from Spain and Portugal and then Morocco joined, although there are venues in other countries.”
FIFA evaluation scores place both the Santiago Bernabéu and the Metropolitano among top-tier facilities, with Spain holding the top score after infrastructure evaluations.
“After what our men’s and women’s teams, the Olympic team, or in the Eurocopa are doing, does anyone have the nerve to steal the final from a city that has the best stadiums, the best infrastructure, and experience in hosting major events?” Martínez-Almeida asked, according to Mundo Deportivo.
He added that denying Spanish football the final would be petty, noting that if Madrid misses out, he would support Barcelona hosting it instead. Martínez-Almeida declared that Spain meets every requirement to host the match and said that if the country is not designated to host the final, authorities should rethink Spain’s role in the organization because everything has a limit.
Frente Amplio candidate Ada Colau discussed the joint bid during an interview with Jordi Wild, emphasizing human rights priorities while noting that the tournament could improve bilateral relations with Morocco. Colau recalled that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), led at the time by Luis Rubiales, chose to sell the tournament exclusively to Saudi petrodollars, while noting that LaLiga initially opposed the move.
When questioned by Jordi Wild about whether she would withdraw Spain from the tournament if the final is awarded to Morocco instead of the Santiago Bernabéu or the Camp Nou—the two venues proposed by the RFEF—Colau did not commit to a withdrawal, stating that she hopes negotiations improve relations with Morocco regarding borders and human rights.
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