Madrid and Barcelona remain Spain’s preferred stages for the 2030 World Cup final, but the ultimate choice between the Iberian hosts and Morocco will not be settled for another two years.
Royal Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán has again expressed confidence that the final can be brought to Spain, with the rebuilt Santiago Bernabéu and Barcelona’s Camp Nou identified as the country’s only stadiums with the scale required for the tournament’s showpiece occasion.
Both venues face competition from Casablanca, where Morocco plans to build the Hassan II Stadium and has made no secret of its own ambition to host the final. Spain, Morocco and Portugal are jointly staging the 2030 finals, turning the decision into one of the defining questions of the project across the western Mediterranean.
A decision expected in 2028
The final venue is not expected to be announced before 2028. The timetable echoes the process for the 2026 World Cup, whose final was assigned to the New York/New Jersey stadium only in February 2024.
That leaves a long campaign ahead for the candidate cities, even as the host nations work through the more immediate task of confirming the full stadium map for the competition.
FIFA inspection still to be scheduled
FIFA has yet to communicate the dates for its next visit to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The governing body’s previous inspection took place in March, when its delegation spent close to two weeks examining arrangements in the host territories.
The next trip carries particular weight because it is expected to help settle the venues to be used by the three co-hosts.
Spain is continuing to support Valencia and Vigo as potential additions to its proposed list of 11 stadiums. The federation believes both cities meet the requirements to stage World Cup matches, despite Málaga and A Coruña later withdrawing from consideration.
Morocco is set to contribute six venues and Portugal three. Once the stadium selection is finalised, the three-nation tournament will take clearer shape, with 2030 also marking the first time the reigning World Cup winners will host the following edition of the competition.
