Gianni Infantino is the FIFA president (Image: Getty)
FIFA has strongly denied reports that its president, Gianni Infantino, promised Morocco could host the 2030 World Cup final match in return for support. A FIFA spokesperson: “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.”
The statement came after reports in The Times claimed Infantino had privately promised Morocco the right to stage the tournament’s showpiece match in exchange for support for his continued leadership of FIFA. Reuters reported that the FIFA president has spent the last week in Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, while holding crisis talks with senior FIFA officials following the collapse of the governing body’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. The proposal, which would have involved selling a 20% stake in FIFA’s new commercial rights body to private investors, was abandoned last week after fierce opposition from UEFA and several national football associations.
FIFA denies Infantino has made promise around the 2030 final. Source stands by the information.
FIFA spokesperson: “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…
— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) August 5, 2026
Morocco has continued to back Infantino during the crisis, according to Reuters, while also pushing for Casablanca’s new Hassan II Stadium to host the 2030 World Cup final.
The venue is expected to become the world’s largest football stadium, with a capacity of around 115,000 spectators. Spain is also hoping to stage the final, with Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu widely regarded as the leading contender.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one opening match to commemorate the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup.
However, FIFA has yet to decide which stadium will host the final.
UEFA has reportedly lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, while several national associations have withdrawn their backing for the Swiss-Italian ahead of FIFA’s presidential election next March.
FIFA has insisted no decision has yet been made on where the 2030 World Cup final will be staged, rejecting suggestions that any agreement has already been reached.
A vehicle believed to be carrying FIFA president Gianni Infantino arrives in Sale, Morocco (Image: AP Photo/undefined)
The meeting in Morocco is expected to focus on ensuring Infantino remains in office until FIFA’s presidential election in March next year.
Reuters reported that an Extraordinary Congress could be called if at least 43 FIFA member associations formally request one.
Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines have all publicly declared their support for Infantino.
Reuters also reported that the African confederation, CAF, has yet to announce its position, while Oceania’s executive committee is due to discuss its approach next week