Former Spain goalkeeper Santiago Canizares has described Morocco as a “very bad opponent” as the debate over where the 2030 FIFA World Cup final should be played continues to intensify.
The final is currently at the centre of a contest between the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and the proposed Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which is still under construction.
According to British newspaper The Times, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had offered Morocco the opportunity to host the showpiece match in return for support that would help him remain in office. FIFA has rejected the report, describing the claims as “false and misleading”, but speculation over the final’s venue has continued to grow.
The issue has also prompted calls in the Spanish parliament for Morocco to be removed from hosting duties for the 2030 World Cup.
Canizares addressed the controversy during an appearance on El Partidazo de COPE, where he questioned the decisions being made within football’s governing structures. The former Valencia and Real Madrid goalkeeper said he was not interested in the political struggles taking place at the highest levels of the game.
“I’m not very good at analysing tie-related matters because they bore me a lot,” Canizares said, referring to football administrators and officials often associated with formal suits and “ties”.
The former Spain international, who now works as a commentator, added: “I prefer to watch what happens on the football pitch.”
Canizares suggested that decisions made away from the field can sometimes be driven by personal interests and ambitions rather than the wider good of the sport.
He criticised “all those people who wear ties and do nothing but look after their own interests and ambitions”, arguing that football’s interests should come first.
His strongest criticism came when he considered the possibility of the 2030 World Cup final being staged in Morocco.
“Morocco is a very bad opponent, isn’t it? A very bad opponent,” he said.
Canizares also insisted that the geopolitical situation should be considered when FIFA makes a decision as significant as selecting the venue for a World Cup final.
“The geopolitical situation is also important,” he said, underlining the influence of relations between countries. His comments appeared to refer to the complex relationship between Spain and Morocco.
He later added that ties between nations “have a great influence” on decisions of this kind.
Canizares ended his remarks with a further reference to Spain’s relationship with Morocco, saying: “We can already see that Morocco, honestly, is not a country with which we enjoy…”
He did not complete the sentence.
The dispute over the 2030 final comes as FIFA faces continued scrutiny over the process that will determine whether the match is played at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or at the planned Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. The tournament itself is due to be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with matches also scheduled to take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as part of the competition’s centenary celebrations.
