Morocco Prime Minister Rebukes Football Chief Over Premature 2030 World Cup Final Claim

Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch has publicly criticized the country's top football official after the federation president claimed that the 2030 World Cup final will take place in Casablanca, even though FIFA has not yet made a final decision.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch directed his criticism at Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) President Fouzi Lekjaa, who had previously stated at a political party event that the province of Benslimane would have the privilege of hosting the final match. Meanwhile, world football governing body FIFA has not yet confirmed which of the three cohosts—Spain, Portugal, or Morocco—will host the 2030 final, stating that an official decision will be announced in due course.

“Do not offer to host the big final game in Morocco while we still have not discussed the matter with our allies, Spain and Portugal. There should be some respect, brothers,” Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch stated during a rally held ahead of upcoming elections later this month. “Stop using electoral promises to pull the rug out from under us. These are huge matters. Deciding where the final will be held is a major issue.”

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) did not respond to requests for comment regarding the remarks made by Fouzi Lekjaa. As of May, Morocco's proposed 115,000-seat stadium for the 2030 World Cup was approximately 30 percent complete, with project officials aiming to finish construction by the end of 2027. For comparison, the venue for the 2026 final in New Jersey was chosen in July after FIFA made the official announcement in February 2024.