Doubt is creeping into Spain’s own ranks. With the 2030 World Cup still years away, Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida delivered an unusually candid assessment this week: Casablanca, not his own capital, may now be the frontrunner to host the tournament’s grand finale.
In remarks widely reported by Moroccan outlets on Monday, Almeida said he was not optimistic about Madrid’s chances, while openly acknowledging the legitimacy of Morocco’s ambitions. He described as « legitimate » Rabat’s push to stage the final at Casablanca’s Hassan II Stadium, noting that King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan state as a whole « are mobilizing at the political and institutional level » to make that outcome a reality.
By contrast, the mayor turned his criticism inward, accusing Spain’s central government of inertia. He said he had « no evidence » of any comparable mobilization on Madrid’s behalf, adding that city hall had not been briefed on « any kind of movement » from the national executive on the matter — a rare public rebuke from a host-city official toward his own government.
Almeida also recalled the tournament’s complicated origin story. The 2030 World Cup was originally conceived as a joint Spanish-Portuguese bid before Morocco joined as a third co-host, with three centennial matches later added in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina to mark the competition’s 100th anniversary. Given that history, he argued, it would be « hard to understand » if the final were not ultimately held in Madrid.
The mayor’s comments point to a broader shift in the diplomatic and sporting balance between Rabat and Madrid. Since co-hosting rights were confirmed, Morocco has poured resources into its infrastructure, anchored by a Hassan II Stadium designed to rank among the largest sporting venues in the world. That momentum stands in sharp contrast to the hesitation on the Spanish side, where friction between local and national authorities appears to be stalling any coordinated push.
Almeida closed with a pointed warning to his own government: if the final does not end up in Madrid, he said, Spain would need to reconsider whether hosting the World Cup was worthwhile at all, and « there will undoubtedly need to be accountability. » Far from undermining Morocco’s case, the remark — coming from a rival bidder — only reinforced how solid Casablanca’s position has become.
