World Cup Final in Exchange for Support? FIFA President Gianni Infantino Allegedly Makes a Desperate Move

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly promised Morocco the 2030 Football World Cup final. In return, he is allegedly seeking the country's support to shift the balance of power at the top of the world governing body and regain international backing.

This was reported by The Times, citing an anonymous source. The Swiss official, who held a crisis meeting with senior staff at the FIFA Africa Office in Sale, near the Moroccan capital Rabat, on Wednesday, is under considerable pressure following the failure of his plan to sell stakes in the organization's tournaments to private investors.

According to The Times, Infantino is now seeking public declarations of support from various countries. The European football confederation, UEFA, has already clearly distanced itself from the FIFA boss, and in recent days, several close associates have publicly disassociated themselves from Joseph S. Blatter's successor.

FIFA itself denies the explosive report. "It is false and misleading to claim that the FIFA President has made any promise regarding the hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course," the world governing body stated in response to a dpa inquiry.

2030 World Cup: Final Venue and Number of Teams Still Unclear

The 2030 World Cup finals will be held across three continents, with most matches scheduled to take place in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. For a long time, the extensively renovated Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid was considered the logical venue for the final. Morocco's government is now constructing the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which will have a capacity of 115,000 spectators. Upon completion, it would be the largest football stadium in the world.

The question of the final venue, as well as the number of participating teams, has remained unresolved until now. Following the recent World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, which concluded just over three weeks ago and for the first time featured 48 national teams, Infantino, 56, is aiming to expand the tournament to 64 teams for the finals in four years.