Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akannoush and FIFA President Gianni Infantino met within the framework of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which the Kingdom of Morocco will host jointly with Spain and Portugal.
During the cordial meeting, the FIFA President, speaking to media at the press conference, expressed the world football governing body's satisfaction that a hospitable and attractive country like Morocco has hosted the World Cup. In Morocco, the King and his people have a strong passion for football. The FIFA President thanked the King of Morocco for “being as passionate about football as all Moroccans” and for “his commitment to our sport and to football, the sport of all Moroccans.”
Gianni Infantino praised the efforts made by the North African country and expressed his confidence that “Morocco will be a great host country.” “As you know, Morocco is a football powerhouse and everything is in place,” the FIFA president said. Regarding the preparation of all the infrastructure for the World Cup on Moroccan territory, Gianni Infantino said he is fully satisfied with the efforts being made by the Moroccan government, saying, “We have already expressed our joy because we will welcome the world in Morocco. We have important projects, great stadiums, beautiful cities and citizens who will welcome everyone.”
Gianni Infantino said that the decision of the next FIFA Congress on the 2030 World Cup will be made in December to announce the final details of how the World Cup will be held. “After the discussions with me, and because we know that Morocco is a football country, everything is ready,” Infantino said. This is taking into account that there are still some details to be decided regarding the allocation of venues, such as where the World Cup final will be held. Both the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid and the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca have been mentioned as possible locations for the final.
Morocco is putting all its efforts into preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which it will host alongside Spain and Portugal. The Moroccan government is pouring significant resources into renovating stadiums and building new infrastructure, including the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which will be the pinnacle of the Kingdom's potential as World Cup host.
Moroccan Football Federation president Faouzi Lakgaja (centre), Spanish president Pedro Rocha (left) and Portuguese president Fernando Gomes (Photo/AFP)
With a design inspired by the large tents and traditional Moroccan tents used for big events and traditional social gatherings called mucems, the Casablanca Stadium will be one of the largest stadiums in the world, accommodating 115,000 spectators. The project was designed by American architecture firm Populous, which worked with French-Moroccan joint venture Oularous+Choi (O+C) to win the competition to design Casablanca Stadium for the 2030 World Cup. The president of the Moroccan Football Federation said the stadium will be completed by the end of 2028 and will host the 2029 Club World Cup, which the North African country will host.
Other stadiums, such as the Tangier Grand Stadium, are also being renovated to increase capacity and improve performance.
Morocco's 2025 Finance Bill aims to present a comprehensive program for the preparation of cities to host the 2030 World Cup, including Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fez and Tangier.
