FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised Morocco the World Cup final in return for the country’s support as he tries to rescue his presidency.
Infantino has pledged the final will be staged at the new 115,000-capacity Hassan II stadium in Casablanca rather than Real Madrid’s Bernabeu.
Morocco, which shares co-hosting duties for the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal, has been Infantino’s most steadfast ally since he took charge a decade ago.
Sources have told the Times the Casablanca venue will host football’s most-watched match.
FIFA have disputed the claims, with a spokesman saying: “It is false and misleading to claim the FIFA President has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 Final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”
Spanish FA President Rafael Louzan previously insisted this year that Spain “will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be here”.
Infantino’s rivals insist that any such commitment carries no weight and could simply be overturned by a successor.
The FIFA President gathered his most senior remaining loyalists for a crisis meeting at FIFA’s lavish African headquarters in Rabat, Morocco.
Gianni Infantino is understood to have promised Morocco the World Cup final | GETTY
The meeting was aimed at salvaging his presidency amid growing calls for his departure.
The FIFA President aims to restore unity after his ambitious sell-off plan to privatise the organisation’s commercial and event operations spectacularly unravelled.
The failed proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), triggered fierce opposition from within football’s governing body before ultimately being abandoned.
FFE has been heavily criticised across the footballing world and beyond, with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger among its most recent critics.
Infantino gathered his most senior remaining loyalists for a crisis meeting at FIFA’s lavish African headquarters in Rabat, Morocco
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Wenger, who has served as FIFA’s chief of global football development since 2019, insisted the proposal should never have progressed.
He said: “The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
The FIFA President is under immense pressure to stay in his role
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Wenger is also among 18 FIFA officials named in UEFA’s document preservation letter threatening legal action over the affair.
Wednesday’s emergency meeting is expected to be crucial as Infantino works to mend relationships with senior colleagues and prevent the most significant internal crisis of his presidency from escalating further.
