Mustapha Hadji calls for 2030 World Cup final to be staged in Morocco

Mustapha Hadji says the 2030 World Cup final should be played in Morocco, arguing that it is time for Africa to host the tournament’s showpiece match again.

Morocco will co-host the next World Cup with Spain and Portugal. Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will each stage one match as part of celebrations marking the competition’s 100th anniversary.

Morocco and Spain are competing to host the final, with Spanish media strongly campaigning for the match to be held at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Morocco, meanwhile, is pushing for the final to take place at the Grand Hassan II Stadium, which is under construction in Benslimane province, near Casablanca.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has said the World Cup final should be played at “a legendary stadium such as the Santiago Bernabeu”.

Hadji believes Morocco would be the fairest venue, particularly because Europe and North America have hosted the World Cup on numerous occasions.

“Of course I want the final to be held in Morocco, in Casablanca or Rabat, especially because we have the capabilities required to stage it,” the former Morocco international told Koora in a filmed interview due to be published later.

“I would like to see a World Cup final held in Africa for the second time, after the first occasion in South Africa in 2010. I believe the time has come to raise the African flag.”

Hadji criticises calls to keep final away from Africa

Asked about the Spanish media’s demands for the final to be hosted in Spain, despite recent controversy surrounding racism in Spanish stadiums, Hadji said the campaign itself reflected the issue.

“Yes, honestly, I believe there is racism,” he said. “They also practise racism when they demand that the match be taken away from Africa, even though it has been held several times in Europe and the United States.”

Hadji was also asked whether Morocco could deliver a World Cup that surpassed the 2022 tournament in Qatar, which some regard as one of the best editions in the competition’s history.

The former Morocco forward expressed confidence in the country’s ability to organise a successful tournament.

“Yes, Morocco’s football officials have been working since 2012 in more than one area to develop the game,” he said. “Today, we have all the necessary qualifications, to the extent that dual-nationality players active in European leagues are asking to play for Morocco.”

Morocco’s 2030 World Cup involvement will therefore include matches across the country alongside Spain and Portugal, while the three South American nations will host one fixture each to mark a century since the tournament began.