Madrid mayor warns Spain could reconsider 2030 World Cup role if it loses final

Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida has warned that Spain may need to reconsider its role in organising the 2030 World Cup if the country is not awarded the final.

Almeida said denying Spain the showpiece match would represent a “direct insult” to the country, arguing that it had provided the strongest case through its national teams, stadiums, infrastructure and experience of staging major events.

Speaking during a visit to the “Kings of the World” exhibition at Madrid City Hall, Almeida renewed his call for the final to be held in Spain, according to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

Spain and Portugal were the original driving forces behind the hosting bid before Morocco joined them. Other countries will also stage celebratory matches marking the centenary of the World Cup, but Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the tournament itself.

Almeida questioned whether Spain could realistically be overlooked for the final given its sporting record and facilities.

“After what the Spanish football team has achieved, will they deny us the final?” he said. “After what the men’s and women’s teams and the Olympic team have achieved, and what has happened in the European Championship, would anyone dare to take the final away from a country with the best stadiums, infrastructure and experience of organising major events?”

He also referred to an assessment of the hosting proposal by FIFA, saying Spain received the highest rating after its infrastructure was evaluated. He highlighted the Santiago Bernabeu and Metropolitano among the stadiums supporting the Spanish bid.

The Madrid mayor remains committed to seeing the final played in the capital, but said he would accept another Spanish city if Madrid is not selected.

“I would be happy for the match to be played in Madrid and I will defend its bid to host the final,” Almeida said. “But if it is not held in the capital, it must remain in Spain, and in that case it would be Barcelona.”

Spain is competing with Morocco to host the final. Morocco is seeking to stage the match at a new stadium in Casablanca.

Almeida made clear that he opposed the possibility of the final moving to Morocco, saying Spain’s contribution to the hosting proposal gave it compelling grounds to claim the match. However, he maintained that Madrid remained the option he would continue to support.

“It would be mean-spirited to deny Spanish football this right,” he said. “I believe Spain deserves to host the World Cup final. If we do not host it, we must reconsider our role, because everything has its limits.”

Spain, Portugal and Morocco are due to host the 2030 World Cup jointly. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will stage one celebratory match each to mark 100 years since the first tournament, held in Uruguay in 1930.

The six countries are awaiting the allocation of matches and organisational responsibilities, with the final venue remaining one of the most closely watched decisions before the tournament.