Laporta pushes Camp Nou for 2030 World Cup final: "Neither Casablanca nor Madrid"

Joan Laporta has made his move in the race to host the 2030 World Cup final. The FC Barcelona president has openly put forward the Spotify Camp Nou as the venue for the decisive match, ahead of Casablanca and the Santiago Bernabéu. A statement of intent with which the Barça chief aims to place the club's stadium firmly in the bidding process that FIFA will resolve.

• Laporta confirms Barcelona has proposed the Camp Nou for the 2030 World Cup final.
• The Barça president leans on the 105,000-seat capacity as his main argument.
• Madrid and Casablanca emerge as direct rivals in FIFA's selection process.
• The executive points out that the Bernabéu already hosted a World Cup final in 1982.

Camp Nou throws its hat in the ring for the 2030 World Cup final

The top Barça official told the 'Què T'hi Jugues' show on Cadena SER that the club has already made its wishes known regarding the tournament's biggest game. Laporta said the proposal is on the table and that Barcelona will defend it with solid arguments before world football's governing body.

The stadium's bid rests, according to its president, on one distinguishing factor: the capacity of the venue after its refurbishment. The new Spotify Camp Nou will hold around 105,000 people, a figure the executive considers decisive when FIFA weighs up the different options.

The World Cup final should be neither in Casablanca nor in Madrid. It should be at the Spotify Camp Nou

Casablanca, Madrid and Barcelona battle for the showpiece game

Laporta has identified Casablanca and Madrid as the two cities Barcelona is directly competing with. In a light-hearted tone, the Catalan president played with words to refer to his eternal rivals: "Casablanca and Madrid are the same thing," he joked, drawing a parallel between the Moroccan city and the Casa Blanca, in a clear nod to Real Madrid.

Beyond the quip, the executive was keen to make his institutional stance clear. He argued that the title decider should be played in Spain, though not in the capital. A way of acknowledging the country's role as host without giving up on Barcelona's ambitions.

The 105,000-seat capacity as the key card for FIFA

Among the arguments put forward by Laporta, the Camp Nou's new capacity stands out above all others. With 105,000 seats, the Blaugrana venue would present itself as one of the largest football arenas on the planet. A capacity that tends to carry weight in FIFA's decisions when it comes to major events.

The Barça president made no secret of his belief that this figure will prove crucial: "I think FIFA will take that into account," he said. A confidence that leads him to picture a packed stadium for the final, offering a globally prominent image for the city.

The memory of 1982 and Spain's status as world champions

Laporta also turned to history to strengthen his bid. He recalled that the Santiago Bernabéu already hosted a World Cup final in 1982, when Italy beat West Germany. A precedent that, in his view, should now give way to another Spanish city.

The executive also pointed to the Spanish national team's recent honours. Spain won the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and, in his reasoning, that status as world champions bolsters the case for a national venue to stage the showpiece match of the 2030 tournament.

A Camp Nou final as international recognition

For Laporta, awarding the final to the Spotify Camp Nou would carry value beyond the purely sporting. The president spoke of an "international recognition" the club wants to earn and which would place Barcelona at the centre of the global football map during the centenary year of the first World Cup.

Barça's top official confirmed that the club will formally submit its proposal to FIFA and said further arguments will be added to those already laid out. An offensive with which Barcelona intends to challenge Madrid and Casablanca for the biggest possible stage in international football.

Frequently asked questions about the 2030 World Cup final