Spain’s football federation (RFEF) has proposed 11 stadiums as candidates to host matches during the 2030 World Cup, including the home arenas of LaLiga clubs Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
Spain, who will co-host the tournament with Portugal and Morocco as well as centenary hosts Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, will also have 45 additional grounds as team bases, the RFEF said on Friday.
Real Sociedad’s Anoeta, Gran Canaria Stadium of Las Palmas, Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium, Estadio Riazor of Deportivo La Coruna and Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium complete the shortlist.
However, Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium, despite being the fifth-largest stadium in LaLiga with a capacity of 49,430, was not included in the list of potential venues. Celta Vigo’s Estadio Abanca Balaidos also misses out.
“In order to define the venues, all the possibilities have been analysed, including the option of expanding to 13, an option that must be taken unanimously by the three federations,” the RFEF said in a statement.
The tournament will have a maximum of 20 venues, the RFEF added.
It was announced in October that Spain, Morocco and Portugal had been selected as joint hosts for the 2030 World Cup, while the opening three matches of the tournament will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
In addition to Spain’s 11 venues, Morocco will provide six venues and Portugal three.
Co-hosts Morocco last year announced plans to build a stadium near Casablanca and upgrade six others before the World Cup. Portugal confirmed Benfica’s Estadio da Luz, Sporting CP’s Estadio Jose Alvalade and Porto’s Estadio do Dragao as their three venues in March.
Portugal and Morocco are hosting the World Cup for the first time, while Spain held the 1982 tournament.
Spain’s proposed FIFA World Cup 2030 venues
Anoeta (Donostia-San Sebastian)
Camp Nou (Barcelona)
Gran Canaria (Las Palmas)
Estadio La Cartuja (Seville)
The Rose Garden (Malaga)
Metropolitan (Madrid)
New Romareda (Zaragoza)
RCDE Stadium (Barcelona, Cornella-El Prat)
Riazor (A Coruna)
San Mames (Bilbao)
Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid)
