When it comes to the fabled FIFA World Cup, everybody wants to be a part of history. This year the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in Qatar and France is the defending champion who will look to keep the trophy in their hands when the championship ends. The FIFA World Cup hosts and venues are always decided way in advance and this helps the hosts prepare for the multi-nation tournaments properly and get their logistics in place.
The stadiums of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid are among venues seeking to host matches if the 2030 World Cup takes place in Spain and Portugal, the Spanish soccer federation said on Thursday. A total of 15 stadiums have offered to be among the 11 Spanish venues expected to host games if the Iberian bid is successful. Portugal would host matches in three venues.
Barcelona's Camp Nou, Atlético's Wanda Metropolitano and Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu highlight the initial list, which also includes the venues of Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad. Both Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabéu are expected to be fully renovated by the 2030 World Cup.
“This is the most important project that Spain will undertake in the next few years,” Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales said after a meeting to present the venues list and discuss the nation's bid. The evaluation of the Spanish host cities will take place through November, with no set date for an announcement of the 11 venues that will be picked for the final bid presentation.
FIFA has yet to officially release the official bid requirements for the 2030 World Cup, but Spain and Portugal are planning for a tournament with 48 nations, similar to the one in 2026 in the United States, Canada, and México.
FIFA is expected to select the 2030 World Cup host nations in 2024.
Stadiums List for Spain:
Balaídos — Vigo
Riazor — A Coruña
El Molinón — Gijón
San Mamés — Bilbao
Anoeta — San Sebastián
La Romareda — Zaragoza
Camp Nou — Barcelona
RCDE Stadium — Cornellá-El Prat (Barcelona)
Santiago Bernabéu — Madrid
Metropolitano — Madrid
Nuevo Mestalla — Valencia
Nueva Condomina — Murcia
La Cartuja — Sevilla
La Rosaleda — Málaga
Gran Canaria — Las Palmas (Canary Islands)
(Inputs from PTI)
