It’s not just the Five Questions who is trying to change the mind of FIFA. On the list of candidates to replace the President is Gianni Infantino for another four years until 2021. Infantino remains popular among member groups in Africa, Oceania and South America, despite political fallout from a privately funded scheme that was eventually abolished. With no loose alliance of rivals to emerge by the official deadline, the de facto incumbent is still in a position to cling to 10 years of monopolistic control of the game at the international level.
A panoply of conjecture is meanwhile swirling about the location for the 2030 World Cup final. With three countries – Spain, Portugal and Morocco – agreeing to jointly stage the centenary event, it has become something of a gladiatorial contest for the planet’s most coveted sporting occasion.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has said the new Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane, 45km from Casablanca, will host the high-profile final. When the mega-structure is complete in 2027, it will be the largest dedicated football stadium in the world, with room for 115,000 fans. A FIFA spokesperson quickly added that “no definitive decision has been taken at this stage” and that the decision would go through the standard evaluation process before an announcement is made.
Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu is centre stage in Spain’s fierce campaign to host the final-the prestigious Madrid ground attracts a traditional vote from tournament organisers. FIFA spokesmen, in comment to media alleging Infantino told Morocco they could have the final in return for a vote, insisted the reports were untrue and the outcome of a “well-sourced disinformation campaign”. The host for football’s biggest final remains a crucial fight to sway historic grounds and modern stadia amid political interests as the 52-year-old president attempts to secure power until 2031 through regional support.
Source: Associated Press / Reuters / The Times / Inside The Games
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