World Cup 2030: AFCON Final Saga Costs Morocco Hosting Of Final

World Cup 2030: AFCON Final Saga Costs Morocco Hosting Of Final

Sampson Adedeji

Morocco has reportedly lost the opportunity to host the final of the 2030 FIFA World Cup following incidents that marred the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The 2030 World Cup is set to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with earlier indications suggesting that Morocco was in contention to stage the tournament’s final.

However, developments surrounding the AFCON 2025 final between hosts Morocco and Senegal appear to have altered those plans.

According to reports, the scenes that unfolded during and after the AFCON final raised concerns at the global level, prompting a reassessment of Morocco’s suitability to host the World Cup’s showpiece match.

 President of the Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzán, confirmed that Spain will now host the final, citing reputational concerns.

“The final will be played here. Spain has demonstrated its organizational capacity,” Louzán said.

"We have seen scenes during the African Cup final that hurt the image of world football,” he added.

While Morocco will remain one of the co-hosts of the 2030 tournament, the decision represents a significant setback for the North African nation, which had hoped to crown its historic hosting role with the World Cup final.