Morocco competes in the World Cup final.

A lengthy report published by the American newspaper "The Athletic" revealed that the competition to host the final match of the 2030 World Cup has mainly narrowed down to Morocco and Spain, as each party seeks to convince the International Football Federation "FIFA" to grant it the honor of organizing the most important match of the tournament.

The report clarified that the new Hassan II Stadium, which is being constructed on the outskirts of Casablanca with a capacity of up to 115,000 spectators, has become Morocco's strongest card in this race, especially after Moroccan authorities allocated massive investments for its completion, alongside parallel projects to develop infrastructure and transportation networks in line with FIFA's requirements.

The same source added that Moroccan officials do not hide their desire to host the final, as Yasser Al-Sousi, the director general of the National Agency for Public Equipment, previously confirmed that Morocco wants to host the final match, considering that the new stadium will be more capable of meeting the International Federation's requirements compared to the "Santiago Bernabéu" stadium located in the heart of Madrid.

The report indicated that Morocco has benefited in recent years from a sports strategy led by the kingdom, which has made football one of the most prominent national projects, while also highlighting the status of Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, within football decision-making bodies, as he serves as the first vice president of the Confederation of African Football and a member of the FIFA Council.

The report quoted sources familiar with the organization of the "World Cup 2030" file, stating that the Moroccan side considers granting the final match to the city of Casablanca a fairer option, given that the African continent has hosted only one final in the history of the World Cup, which took place during the South Africa edition in 2010.

In contrast, the report confirmed that the Spanish Football Federation still insists on the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to host the final, relying on the stadium's symbolism and its great history, as well as Spain hosting a larger number of matches in the tournament. However, Spanish sources acknowledged that Madrid's position is no longer as strong as it was a few months ago, after Morocco succeeded in making significant progress in preparation and coordination with FIFA.

The newspaper added that the decision to determine the stadium hosting the final match will remain in the hands of the International Football Federation, which retains the authority to make such decisions, noting that FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his close circle will play a decisive role in choosing the host city.