Fiery remarks from Pedro Sánchez have reignited the debate over the 2030 World Cup. The Spanish Prime Minister recalled the moment his national team collected the World Cup trophy in the United States, describing the sight of US President Donald Trump handing it to Spain as "a genuine political orgasm". His comments landed as the row over where the final will be staged intensifies: Spain or Morocco?
Speaking to "La Séptima" radio, Sánchez defended the joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the 2030 tournament, stressing that the original initiative came from the two Iberian nations.
"It is true that two countries organised or launched this idea, Spain and Portugal, because it is Europe's turn to host the tournament, and we added a sister nation like Morocco," the Prime Minister said.
Keen to reassure the Spanish public amid growing fears the final could be handed to Morocco, Sánchez insisted that "Spain will host the largest number of World Cup matches compared to any other country".
He recalled Spain's World Cup triumph in the United States with real relish, reaching for that highly personal turn of phrase to capture the historic moment.
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With his sights set on hosting the next tournament on home soil, Sánchez made clear he wants to repeat history. "We won in South Africa, we won in New York, and now it is our turn to win in Spain in 2030, isn't it?" he concluded. "This is a matter for FIFA, and Spain is the country that will host the largest number of matches."
The battle over the World Cup final
Tension is building over where the 2030 final will be played, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation fears the decisive match could end up in Morocco.
Juanma Castaño revealed on "El Partidazo de COPE" that pressure from former US President Donald Trump may prove decisive in handing the African nation the match.
Against that backdrop, People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo is floating a controversial idea. According to the same programme, he is considering proposing during his election campaign that Spain pull out of hosting altogether if FIFA refuses to grant it the final.
The Spanish federation rules out withdrawal
That stance flatly contradicts the federation's official line. President Rafael Louzán ruled out any possibility of withdrawal on "El Partidazo de COPE", calling for institutional calm and standing by the commitments already made.
"Spain has signed agreements with the other countries, with FIFA, and with the government to organise this World Cup," Louzán said.