The issue of the tournament's final venue resurfaced due to Barcelona City Council's sports councillor, David Escudé, who announced that "according to FIFA requirements, the Bernabéu could not host the final." Additionally, the federations are threatening to strip Spain of the entire tournament. What's going on?

Madrid final according to FIFA’s wishes?

On July 31, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco had to submit their final list of stadiums for the 2030 World Cup. Weeks before this, Spanish media confidently reported on FIFA’s decision. José Félix Díaz, a journalist from Marca, confidently stated that the final would be held at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

According to Marca, conclusions drawn from numerous meetings suggest that FIFA wants the final at Real Madrid’s stadium. Although Morocco, with the Grand Stade Hassan II project, briefly seemed to take the lead due to the controversy surrounding Luis Rubiales, the relationship between Real Madrid and FIFA plays a decisive role here. While there are still a few unresolved issues, everything points to Madrid hosting the final.

© RealMadrid.com | Design of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

Escudé’s comments? Irrelevant to Florentino Pérez

This narrative did not sit well with Barcelona, where Spotify Camp Nou is being built. Barcelona’s sports representative, David Escudé, voiced doubts on Catalunya Ràdio: According to FIFA's requirements, Bernabéu could not host the World Cup final. On the other hand, the new stadium in Morocco and Spotify Camp Nou do meet these criteria. Our competition is not Bernabéu but Morocco.

Real Madrid’s management reacted negatively to these statements, calling them lies. Club representatives emphasize that Bernabéu meets all FIFA requirements and can accommodate 81,000 people, exceeding the required capacity. Sources close to Florentino Pérez dismiss Escudé's comments as irrelevant.

© Oualalou + Choi, Populous | Design of Grand Stade Hassan II

Federations threaten to strip Spain of the tournament

FIFA and UEFA have made it clear to the Spanish government and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that if RFEF does not elect a new president within three months, Spain could be suspended. This could lead to Spanish clubs and national teams being excluded from international competitions, and the 2030 World Cup could also be in jeopardy. The government has pledged to ensure that RFEF elects a new president by the end of the year.

Time has come to choose a president, announced García Silvero, FIFA's legal director and one of the most important managers in football. We asked the RFEF to immediately schedule elections in accordance with the electoral regulations approved by the CDS (Spanish Sports Council). This means that within 15-20 days, elections for the president and the Assembly must be called. We requested the CSD to get involved in this process and assist in achieving stability in the RFEF so that a chairman can be elected within a maximum of three months, said García Silvero.

© FC Barcelona | Design of Nou Camp Nou

The CSD agrees with FIFA and UEFA on the importance of the Spanish federation selecting a president as soon as possible for the 2024–2028 term. In the interest of the federation's stability, the CSD and the Representation, Normalization, and Supervision Commission will work with the RFEF to ensure strict compliance with the current ministerial regulation, which has been guiding the electoral processes of all sports federations in Spain since January of last year, reads the official statement from the Spanish government on the matter. The FIFA Congress will be held on December 11, during which members will closely examine the current situation in Spain. By that time, the RFEF must have a new leader.