A car believed to be carrying FIFA President Gianni Infantino, arrives at the FIFA's Africa regional office in Sale.
Infantino offers Morocco 2030 World Cup final for re-election support: report
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly offered Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for a public statement of support for his re-election bid, according to a report in The Times.
The proposal comes as Infantino faces intense pressure following the collapse of his plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors, a move that drew widespread criticism and eroded support from several European associations.
Sources told The Times that Infantino promised the showpiece match would be staged at the under-construction Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, a planned 115,000-seat venue that Morocco has long pushed to host the final over Spain’s redeveloped Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
The 2030 tournament is co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with centenary matches also scheduled in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
Morocco’s football federation has been among Infantino’s consistent backers, and the country is due to host the FIFA Congress in March 2027 where the presidential election will take place.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is seeking a fourth and final term that would keep him in office until 2031.
Infantino has spent recent days in Morocco, holding a crisis meeting with senior FIFA officials in Rabat amid the fallout from the abandoned equity plan.
Several European federations, including those of England and Wales, have withdrawn previous endorsements of his leadership, while UEFA has expressed a loss of confidence.
A FIFA spokesperson rejected the claim, stating: “It is false and misleading to claim the FIFA President has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 Final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”
Neither FIFA nor the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has issued further comment on the specific Times report.
Spanish officials have previously insisted the final belongs in Spain.
Spanish Football Association president Rafael Louzán said earlier this year that Spain “will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be here,” later adding he had “no doubt whatsoever that there is no justification for Spain not to host the grand final of the Centenary World Cup.”
