A fresh storm has hit preparations for the 2030 World Cup, and this time the trouble isn’t coming from FIFA. It is coming from Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s conservative opposition and the Popular Party’s candidate for prime minister, who has stirred controversy weeks before Spain’s general election on November 29.
According to information aired by Spanish radio station COPE, Feijóo is considering adding a striking pledge to his campaign platform: if FIFA does not award the World Cup final to a Spanish stadium, Spain would simply pull out of hosting the tournament altogether. In other words, should the showpiece match end up in Morocco, Madrid would walk away.
Until recently, the matter looked settled in Spain’s favor. Back in the summer of 2024, FIFA published its hosting requirements, confirming that Spain would provide 11 of the tournament’s 20 stadiums, against six for Morocco and just three for Portugal. Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu was widely seen as the natural venue for the final, an impression FIFA itself reinforced as early as June 2024.
Morocco, however, has upended those assumptions. Rabat has mounted a sweeping international campaign to showcase its flagship project, the future Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, billed as the largest football stadium ever built. The push has intensified in recent months, drawing accusations from the Spanish press that Moroccan officials are exploiting every setback in Spain, from rail accidents to the turmoil surrounding Camp Nou, to cast doubt on Spain’s readiness to deliver the tournament.
It is against this backdrop that Feijóo has chosen to weigh in, turning what was a logistical question into, according to COPE, a matter of national pride for the Popular Party.
His position, though, runs into resistance from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Its president, Rafael Louzán, moved to cool tensions on the radio programme El Partidazo de COPE, stressing that Spain has signed agreements with the other host nations, with FIFA, and with its own government. He also played down recent comments from Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lekjaa, who had suggested the final would be held in Casablanca, dismissing them as remarks aimed at a domestic audience. Louzán added that FIFA has not yet made a final decision, and that its president, Gianni Infantino, is due to visit Spain this autumn to continue talks.
The row escalated further after journalist Juanma Castaño reported that genuine concern is spreading inside the Spanish federation over the possibility of losing the final to Morocco, and that pressure from US President Donald Trump could ultimately tip the balance in the kingdom’s favor.
