Morocco’s claim that it has secured the 2030 World Cup final for Casablanca has drawn an immediate FIFA rebuttal, leaving one of the tournament’s biggest unresolved hosting questions back in the spotlight.
2030 World Cup final claim triggers FIFA-Morocco dispute
The Moroccan Football Federation stated that the final had been agreed for Casablanca. FIFA answered that the selection process remains under way, with a spokesperson describing reports that the final venue had been decided as false and misleading.
Quick facts
- Morocco has indicated that Casablanca will stage the 2030 World Cup final.
- FIFA says no final-host decision has yet been completed.
- Fouzi Lekjaa leads the Moroccan federation, sits on the FIFA Council and serves as Morocco’s delegated minister for the budget.
- LaLiga president Javier Tebas publicly questioned FIFA’s response.
Tebas reacted sharply to the contradiction, arguing that the statement did not come from an unverified report or social-media speculation. He pointed to Lekjaa’s roles within Morocco’s football administration, the national government and FIFA’s Council.
“Who is not telling the truth?” Tebas asked, framing the issue as a choice between the head of a co-hosting federation and FIFA’s formal denial. He said FIFA had made public refutations a recurring institutional practice.
The LaLiga president also referred to an earlier controversy involving Folarin Balogun’s red card at a World Cup. Tebas said Donald Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the dismissal, and alleged that Balogun’s subsequent availability changed despite FIFA insisting the call had no bearing on the case.
He ended with a sarcastic suggestion that FIFA should maintain a web page listing active denials, complete with publication and expiry dates. For the 2030 cycle, however, the immediate position remains unchanged: Casablanca has been proposed by Morocco, but FIFA says the final venue has not been formally settled.
SEO Title: FIFA denies that Casablanca has secured 2030 World Cup final
SEO Description: Morocco says Casablanca will host the 2030 World Cup final, but FIFA insists the decision is still pending as Javier Tebas challenges the denial.
