Until just a few weeks ago, the Santiago Bernabéu appeared as the great favorite to host the final of the 2030 World Cup. The new stadium of Real Madrid, its capacity, the infrastructure of the capital, and Spain's experience in organizing major sporting events placed Madrid ahead of any other venue in the joint bid with Portugal and Morocco.
However, the information published this Wednesday by the British newspaper The Times has opened up a completely different scenario. According to that newspaper, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, would have offered Morocco, specifically King Mohammed VII, the organization of the final in exchange for the political support of the African bloc to guarantee his continuity at the head of the organization. The FIFA has officially denied that version, but the political impact of the information has been immediate.
The question that many fans are now asking is inevitable: does Spain really run the risk of losing the World Cup final?
The answer requires separating the facts from the speculations.
First key: there is no official decision
As of today, there is no resolution from FIFA that removes the Santiago Bernabéu's possibility of hosting the World Cup final.
After the publication of The Times, -reports Cadena SER- (Cadena SER). The Spanish government, for its part, has reiterated that it will continue working to ensure that the most important match of the championship is played in Spain.
Therefore, stating that Madrid has lost the final would be, for now, incorrect.
Second key: the Bernabéu is no longer an uncontestable favorite
That there is no decision does not mean that the scenario remains the same as a few weeks ago.
Until now, the general perception was that the Santiago Bernabéu had the best sporting, logistical, and commercial conditions to host the final.
The information known this Wednesday has changed that perception. For the first time, the possibility that Casablanca seriously aspires to the decisive match has entered the international debate.
Third key: Gianni Infantino's crisis changes the board
The origin of the controversy is not solely in Morocco.
The real trigger is the internal situation that FIFA is going through.
Gianni Infantino faces one of the most delicate moments since he took office as president. The criticisms of his management, the controversy generated by his project to reorganize the commercial exploitation of the World Cup, and the growing discontent within several federations have weakened his position ahead of the 2027 Congress, where he is expected to seek a new mandate.
It is in this context that the information published by The Times arises, linking the choice of the final venue with the search for political support within FIFA.
Fourth key: Morocco arrives with more influence than ever
If there is a country whose international position has grown in recent years within world football, it is Morocco.
The organization of the Africa Cup, the construction of the future Hassan II stadium in Casablanca - projected to exceed 110,000 spectators - and the growing weight of the African Football Confederation make the Alaouite kingdom an actor with much greater capacity for influence than when the joint candidacy began to take shape.
This change explains why any movement related to Morocco today acquires enormous political significance within FIFA.
Fifth key: Spain still has important advantages
Despite the controversy, Spain continues to present very solid objective arguments.
The Santiago Bernabéu ranks among the most modern stadiums in the world, Madrid has a communication network that is hardly comparable, it has a wide hotel capacity, and it possesses a proven experience in organizing large international sporting events.
These factors continue to play in favor of the Spanish candidacy and explain why the Government publicly maintains its confidence that the final can be held in Madrid.
Sixth key: the decision has never been solely sporting
The history of FIFA shows that major decisions never respond exclusively to technical criteria.
The balances between confederations, geographical representation, sports diplomacy, and institutional interests are part of the decision-making process of the organization.
For this reason, the debate opened these days transcends the comparison between the Bernabéu and the future Hassan II stadium. What is really at stake is the political balance within FIFA at a particularly delicate moment for its president. (The Times)
Seventh key: Spain has not lost the final, but it also cannot take it for granted
The conclusion is probably less emphatic than many headlines published in recent hours.
Spain has not lost the final of the 2030 World Cup because there is no official decision that establishes this.
But it cannot be stated that the Bernabéu has guaranteed the decisive match either.
The information that appeared this Wednesday, the subsequent denials, and the leadership crisis that FIFA is going through have opened a scenario of uncertainty that practically did not exist until now.
In other words, the greatest risk for Spain is not a decision already made, but that the choice of the final ends up being conditioned by an increasingly complex political context within the highest body of world football.
At this moment, the Bernabéu continues to be a top-level contender to host the final of the 2030 World Cup. However, what has happened in recent hours shows that the battle will no longer be fought solely over the quality of the stadiums or the organizational capacity of each country, but also in the offices where the future of FIFA is decided.
The close relationship between Mohammed VI and Infantino
The relationship between the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, and the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has notably strengthened in recent years, coinciding with the designation of Morocco as one of the three host countries of the 2030 World Cup along with Spain and Portugal. Football has become one of the main tools for the international projection of the Alaouite kingdom, a strategy directly driven by the monarch through strong investments in sports infrastructure and major competitions.
Although Infantino's institutional contacts mainly develop with the Moroccan government and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, chaired by Fouzi Lekjaa, the Royal House supports that strategy. The opening of FIFA's regional office for Africa in Rabat, the joint football development programs on the continent, and the official support of the Moroccan federation for Infantino's re-election for 2027 have reinforced an alliance that positions Morocco as one of FIFA's most relevant partners.
This closeness has gained special relevance after the information published in recent days about the possibility that Morocco aims to host the final of the 2030 World Cup. Although FIFA has denied that a decision has been made and maintains that the choice of the venue is still open, the good rapport between Infantino and the Moroccan authorities has fueled speculation about the political weight that Rabat could have in the outcome of a decision that also directly affects the Spanish candidacy.