Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán has intensified the race to host the 2030 World Cup final by backing Spotify Camp Nou as the venue for the match.
Louzán expressed his support at an event in Barcelona, where the city’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, renewed his push to host the final. The positive response strengthened the Barcelona stadium’s position in the race.
Responding to Collboni’s ambition to see the trophy in Barcelona in 2030, Louzán said: “I hope it happens. There is a possibility of making it happen.” He also expressed his hope that Spain would lift the trophy in front of their home supporters.
Despite those comments, the Santiago Bernabéu remains in contention. Support for Camp Nou does not make it Spain’s sole candidate: Real Madrid’s stadium has continued to be discussed as the domestic favourite, although it has received no official confirmation that it will host the final.
Both stadiums face strong competition from Morocco, which is pushing to stage the match at the Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca. Its planned capacity of around 115,000 would give the Moroccan bid a major asset against its rivals.
Britain’s The Times previously reported that Gianni Infantino had offered Morocco the final in exchange for support for his continued presidency of FIFA beyond the 2027 election, linking the kingdom’s prospects to the future of world football’s governing body’s president.
However, FIFA sources denied to Spanish news agency EFE that any promise had been made concerning the final’s venue, insisting that a decision would be taken at the appropriate time. The reported position attributed to Infantino has therefore not resulted in an announced agreement or a binding decision.
As for the timing, Mundo Deportivo, citing its sources, reported that the chosen stadium is expected to be revealed in 2028, around two years before the tournament. FIFA has not announced a specific date for the decision.
Spain, Morocco and Portugal will jointly host the tournament, but the venue for its biggest match remains undecided. Louzán’s latest comments add an internal Spanish contest to the existing rivalry with Morocco, with FIFA retaining the final say.
