The Madrid stadium Santiago Bernabéu is still the leading candidate to host the final. The Spanish Football Federation officially supports this venue, promoting it in their main bid for the tournament.
The 2030 tournament will be a unique historical event, with several countries across different continents co-hosting. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will be the full hosts of the competition, while Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will only host the opening matches. This decision has been made to honour the centenary of the tournament.
The Madrid arena has serious competitors for the right to host the final, including the revamped Camp Nou in Barcelona, which is prepared to compete for the showpiece match. The new Moroccan venue Hassan II is also in the running for this prestigious event.
The hierarchy of the Spanish federation is banking on the modern renovation of Santiago Bernabéu, as the venue's global reputation is a significant strength of their bid. However, there is one major unresolved issue; local residents continually complain about the loud noise during events, which raises doubts about creating a large fan zone around the stadium.
It is anticipated that Camp Nou will host the highest number of matches in the upcoming tournament due to its massive capacity. FIFA is currently seriously considering expanding the number of participating teams from 48 to 64. In such a case, the size of the venue will become an even more critical factor.
No final decision regarding the location of the final has yet been made by the relevant committee. Nevertheless, the Santiago Bernabéu stadium maintains its status as the overwhelming favourite.
