Javier Tebas calls for rethink of Spain’s role in 2030 World Cup over Morocco final

Wednesday 16 September 2026 - 11:35

The dispute over the 2030 World Cup final has intensified after LaLiga president Javier Tebas said Spain should reconsider its involvement in the tournament if Morocco is selected to host the title match and Gianni Infantino remains FIFA president.

Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Tebas stopped short of calling for Spain to withdraw from the tournament. Instead, he said the country should “rethink” its position under the scenario he described, linking the issue to the outcome of FIFA’s next presidential election and the eventual decision on the final venue.

His comments add a new dimension to an already sensitive dispute between the three countries involved in the main hosting project: Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

FIFA has not assigned the final

The venue of the 2030 World Cup final remains undecided.

FIFA selected the joint Morocco-Portugal-Spain bid as the sole candidate for the tournament in 2023, while also confirming that three centenary matches would be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Recent statements from officials in Morocco and Spain have nevertheless intensified the competition over the championship match.

Moroccan football federation president Fouzi Lekjaa recently referred to Casablanca as the planned location for the final, prompting FIFA to clarify that no final venue had yet been decided. Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch subsequently stressed that the matter should be discussed jointly with the other co-hosts.

Morocco’s proposed Hassan II Stadium

Morocco's bid for the final is centered on the planned Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca.

The project is designed to become one of the country's largest sporting venues, with a projected capacity of around 115,000 spectators. The stadium is still under construction, while Spain has several established venues capable of staging major international matches.

Among the Spanish options is Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu, home of Real Madrid and one of Europe's most prominent football stadiums.

The competing positions have turned the final into one of the most closely watched elements of preparations for the 2030 tournament. FIFA, however, has yet to make the decision.

Tebas links the issue to Infantino’s future

Tebas has also connected the dispute to the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

The LaLiga president has repeatedly criticized Infantino's leadership of world football. On Tuesday, he again questioned the FIFA president's credibility and said Spain's position should be reconsidered if Infantino is re-elected and the final subsequently goes to Morocco.

Those remarks represent Tebas's position rather than an official decision by the Spanish government or the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

Indeed, Spain's preparations for 2030 are continuing. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has agreed to remain in charge through the 2030 World Cup, another indication that the country's football institutions continue to plan for participation in the tournament.

A joint tournament facing an unresolved question

The 2030 World Cup is built around cooperation between Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with the centenary matches extending the competition's footprint to South America.

The disagreement over the final illustrates one of the organizational questions that remains unresolved ahead of the tournament. While Moroccan and Spanish officials have publicly argued for their respective countries, FIFA retains responsibility for determining the final venue.

For now, Tebas's comments have not changed Spain's formal participation in the World Cup project. They have, however, brought the dispute over the final into a wider debate involving FIFA's leadership and the governance of international football.

The final decision on the venue, as well as the outcome of the FIFA presidential election, will determine how the issue develops in the months ahead.