Morocco in pole position to stage 2030 World Cup final as Spanish nervousness grows

African nation's relationships with Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino are playing to its advantage

Now that the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup is over, attention will gradually turn to the 2030 event, a six-nation hosting behemoth that may yet feature sixty-four participating teams.

Some observers might be hoping for a less turbulent tournament, but their hopes will be dashed.

Indeed, the 2030 edition may even be more complicated than this summer’s competition.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has been quick off the starting blocks, already calling for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, claiming the world governing body is “destroying the football industry”.

This follows comments earlier this year by Rafael Louzan (president of the Spanish football federation), who asserted that his country is best equipped to host the 2030 World Cup final.

They may already be fighting a losing battle, particularly as Donald Trump has, of late, been highly condemnatory of Spain as a country.

Among other things, he has described Spain as “a loser” and “a wasted cause”.

Trump has nevertheless established a close and strengthening relationship with Morocco’s government and its king.

And as we now know, Trump and Infantino themselves appear to have a good relationship.

In the meantime, Infantino has been a regular visitor to Morocco, which is building the world’s biggest football stadium in its capital Rabat, to visit the country’s king.

At this stage, one senses that the North African nation occupies pole position in the race to secure the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup final.

Adding credence to this view is the fact that the day after this year’s final in New York, Trump suspended U.S. import duties on Moroccan phosphates.

Morocco claims that 70% of the world’s known phosphate deposits are located in its territory.

It is these phosphate revenues that are helping the country to pay for its expensive programme of 2030 stadium construction.

One location from which Morocco extracts phosphate is Western Sahara, a disputed territory over which Trump supports Moroccan sovereignty.

U.S. support for Morocco has been reciprocated.

Morocco was a founding member of the Board of Peace, which will see the country become the first Arab nation to participate ​in the International Stabilisation Force for ‌Gaza.

This will result in the deployment of senior military officers, gendarmerie and police personnel, as well as the creation of a military field hospital by the Moroccans.

It is no wonder that Spanish officials are concerned about their dwindling chances of hosting the 2030 World Cup final.

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