The FC Barcelona president, after securing the 2029 Champions League final, is calling for another major final for the stadium

After helping secure Spotify Camp Nou as the venue for the 2029 Champions League final, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is already setting his sights on another major event for the renovated stadium: the 2030 World Cup final. By then, the iconic Barcelona venue is expected to be fully completed, with a capacity of 105,000 fans. “It shouldn’t be Casablanca or Madrid. It should be Spotify Camp Nou. Casablanca and Madrid are the same thing,” Laporta said in an interview with SER Catalunya and Catalunya Ràdio during an event celebrating 50 years of soccer broadcasts in Catalan. The Barcelona president pointed out that the 1982 World Cup final was played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu and argued that bringing the 2030 final to Barcelona would represent significant international recognition for the club. Laporta also addressed the controversy surrounding the shirts and banners supporting Ceuta that players displayed before the Elche-Real Madrid match. Real Madrid players Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté did not allow the slogan “We are all Caballas” to be visible. The Barcelona president said the club has always defended freedom of expression and that its players should be free to make similar statements. Laporta also criticized what he described as excessive use of force by police in Elche, where officers removed pro-Catalan-independence flags from Barcelona supporters. He argued that incidents like that should not become normalized and reiterated the club’s position in defense of freedom of expression. Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere. And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.