Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Friday that he would like the final of the 2030 World Cup to be played in Lisbon, but acknowledged that Madrid is the venue that should host the decisive match.
Mourinho said there was a difference between where the final should be and where he would like it to be. He said he would like it to be Lisbon, but that he was already happy that a country like Portugal would host matches at the 2030 World Cup. He made the comments during a press conference ahead of Real Madrid's match against Rayo Vallecano.
Why Mourinho backs Madrid's stadium
The Portuguese coach said Real Madrid's stadium is the ideal location to host the tournament's final, which will be co-organised by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
He said his answer was based on whether the final could be played in a legendary, historic stadium where some of the greatest players in the game's history had performed, calling it the stadium of the most important club in the history of football, and said that was why he believed the final should be held there.
Mourinho insisted his position had nothing to do with the fact that he is currently Real Madrid's coach, saying he would give the same answer if he were still in charge of Benfica, the Portuguese club he led last season.
FIFA yet to confirm host venue
FIFA has said the decision on which venue will host the 2030 World Cup final will be made "at the right moment."
According to the news agency EFE, football's global governing body maintains that the decision, first flagged on 5 August, will be revealed "at the right moment." This came after the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said the final would be held in Casablanca.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, said the 2030 World Cup final will be played at the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, a venue that is currently under construction.
A tournament spanning three continents
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly organised by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host an opening match for their national teams, in tribute to the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930.
