Senegalese Football Federation president Abdoulaye Fall has publicly backed Morocco’s campaign to host the 2030 World Cup final, putting his support behind a second African final after the historic event in Johannesburg in 2010.
Morocco is competing with Spain to stage the showpiece match. The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, but the venue for the final has not yet been decided.
Fall expressed his preference for Morocco during media remarks, highlighting the country’s infrastructure and arguing in favour of Africa hosting the final for only the second time. The first African World Cup final was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010.
The main stadium involved in Morocco’s bid is the Grand Stade Hassan II, which is under construction in Benslimane, near Casablanca. The planned venue will have a capacity of 115,000 and is competing with Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, one of football’s most recognisable stadiums.
Morocco’s prospects were also acknowledged recently by Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez Almeida. He openly admitted that “Casablanca has more chances”, a comment that reinforced earlier suggestions made by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
Fall’s intervention comes as tensions remain between Senegal and Morocco over the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) confirmed on Wednesday that a hearing concerning the final will take place on 8 October.
The dispute began after the Appeal Jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) transferred the African champions’ title from Senegal to Morocco on 18 March. Senegal subsequently lodged an appeal with the TAS.
The Senegalese federation’s support for Morocco’s World Cup final bid therefore comes while the two countries remain involved in that separate legal dispute. The 2030 final race is centred on the proposed Grand Stade Hassan II in Morocco and the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain.