Behind the migratory crisis of these days lies the 2030 Football World Cup, a competition that will be jointly organized by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. More specifically, the final of that World Cup, the great battleground to be determined. Because that tournament, which could bring together up to 64 teams if FIFA’s plans go ahead, will start in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay with the first three matches, in commemoration of the centenary of the competition. That is, the opening matches will no longer be in the host countries. This fact gives even more relevance to who will take the final’s prize. The rules of FIFA’s preliminary report are clear: the stadium hosting the title match must have, at minimum, a capacity close to 80,000 spectators.
Read more Sánchez raises the issue before the EU and defends his migration policy
Therefore, according to this same report, there are only three possible stadiums. One is the Spotify Camp Nou, which will be able to hold 105,000 people when the works are completed. The other is the Bernabéu, which is on the limit (78,2979 spectators), and the third is the stadium being built in Casablanca, the Hassan II, which will soar to 115,000 spectators.
Morocco has thrown itself into Infantino’s arms but the FIFA president has been shaken
The goal of the Spanish interministerial commission, with the presence of the Higher Sports Council (CSD) and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), is clear. It is none other than to bring the World Cup final to Spain. Sources from the CSD state that there is no comparison from an organizational point of view and from the realm of football tradition. The argument that Spanish football is thriving since its teams are currently world champions in both men and women is one of the strong points put forward by the Government and the RFEF. These same sources recall that Spain was the one that promoted the candidacy together with Portugal and that Morocco joined the effort later.
In the same vein, both the president of the RFEF, Rafael Louzán, and the Minister of Education and Sports, Milagros Tolón, have expressed themselves in recent months. “Our country meets the best conditions and if FIFA had any doubts, they must have been removed with the World Cup victory,” says Louzán.
Read more The trail of corpses turns the Ceuta crisis into the deadliest at the border
Spain wields its great football tradition but Morocco is building the largest stadium
But these Spanish efforts are facing a powerful competitor in Morocco, which presents itself as a country close to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to secure the final. In this regard, the president of the Moroccan Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, is also the vice president of the African Confederation (CAF). This was the situation when the crisis in FIFA arose due to Infantino’s intention to privatize part of the World Cup’s commercial rights. Infantino has backtracked and has been shaken. His future leading the organization may also depend on the choice of the final’s venue, since UEFA, to which the Spanish Federation belongs, is an enemy of Infantino and CAF promised to support the current president in the elections. The elections are in March… in Rabat (Morocco). In this line of pulling diplomatic strings, Infantino’s presence on Thursday at the anniversary of Mohamed VI’s coronation is also understood. Morocco is lavishing the FIFA president and considers an asset in its favor the fact that it would be the first final in history in North Africa. Morocco watches from the sidelines a competition between Barcelona and Madrid that it believes could benefit it.
When will the venue be known? There is no concrete schedule. Logically, it must be known with margin. For the 2002 World Cup, the first held in two countries (South Korea and Japan), the final venue was revealed in 1999. For the last one, which ended in New York on July 19, the location of the title match was made public on February 4, 2024. More than two years before the tournament started. The game is on the line.
Read more If you want it without AI, you will have to pay more
