Spanish football chief: 2030 World Cup final non-negotiable

Spain's Football Federation (RFEF) president, Rafael Louzán, said that Spain hosting the 2030 World Cup final is a "non-negotiable" matter, adding that the decision on the final's venue will not come before 2028. He made the remarks at the 20th National Congress on Sports Law, held in the Spanish city of Cáceres, according to AFP, as reported by Hespress.

Louzán said his federation cannot conceive of the final being played outside Spanish territory, describing the tournament by saying: "This World Cup belongs to the European continent, to Spain and Portugal." The statement made no mention of Morocco, even though it is the third co-host alongside the other two countries, which raised questions, according to Alyaoum24.

Despite his firm stance on the final's venue, Louzán ruled out the idea of Spain withdrawing from the World Cup if the final were to be held in Casablanca, rejecting a suggestion by the leader of Spain's Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, that Spain withdraw from the tournament if it does not get the final, and reaffirming Spain's commitment to co-hosting with Morocco and Portugal. He added that he had met a FIFA delegation the day before, and that efforts to persuade the governing body are continuing.

Morocco's bet: the 115,000-seat Grand Stade Hassan II

Morocco is banking on the Grand Stade Hassan II, under construction in Benslimane, expected to hold about 115,000 spectators, as its main asset in the bid to host the final, while Spain is backing the candidacies of the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and the Camp Nou in Barcelona, according to Alyaoum24, citing the Spanish newspaper AS.

Who will decide on the final's venue?

FIFA said in September, according to Spain's El País, that no decision had yet been made on the final's venue, and that the choice would be based on technical, organizational and logistical criteria. That same month, Royal Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa said he was confident the final would be held in Morocco, regardless of other parties' opinions.

Spain is basing its claim on a study by PwC, which estimates the economic benefit of hosting the final at around €3.4 billion, with about 1.5 million tourists and nearly 90,000 jobs created, according to Alyaoum24.

The decision on the 2030 World Cup final's venue thus remains pending until 2028, as Spanish media say Louzán's statements alone will not settle the race, with FIFA set to decide based on organizational criteria, in a matter carrying economic, political and symbolic weight for the three host countries.