Adil Azeroual

The hearing over the dispute surrounding the final will take place on October 8 in Lausanne, with representatives of Morocco and Senegal attending in person and CAF represented by its legal advisers.

A day after his barely veiled threat that Spain could pull out of the 2030 World Cup, LaLiga president Javier Tebas now says the final will be played in Morocco as long as Gianni Infantino remains at the helm of FIFA. It is the latest move in the same strategy: drawing the battle over the final into the power struggle between FIFA and UEFA and ratcheting up pressure on the head of world football’s governing body.

The Catalan club initially hesitated over the initiative before deciding that none of its players would take part, with concerns over the Morocco-born star’s exposure to racist abuse also playing a role.

After explosive remarks by LaLiga president Javier Tebas, Spanish Football Federation chief Rafael Louzán has once again waded into the debate, insisting that the 2030 World Cup final “must be played in Spain and not Morocco.” It is the latest intervention in a growing Spanish fixation over a match FIFA has yet to award.

Ángel María Villar would prefer the final to be played in Spain but says FIFA should have the final say on where the match is held.

Abdessamad Ezzalzouli joined his teammates in wearing a shirt carrying messages about Ceuta before Villarreal-Betis, but as a Moroccan international, he could have chosen not to associate himself with a politically sensitive message.

As Spanish officials continue to promote the country’s infrastructure in their push for the 2030 World Cup final, recurring water leaks at the Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabéu offer an awkward reminder that their stadiums are not without flaws.

FRMF president says province ‘will have the honor’ of hosting the match as Spain continues to press the case for the Santiago Bernabéu.

The RFEF president used his visit to Ceuta to back the city, announce a future Spain match there and again insist that Spain should host the 2030 World Cup final.