Spain Requests FIFA Include Valencia, Vigo for 2030 World Cup After Malaga, La Coruña Withdrawals

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has decided to send a formal request to FIFA, calling for the inclusion of the Mestalla stadium in Valencia and the Balaídos stadium in Vigo among the host cities for the 2030 World Cup.

This request follows numerous verbal confirmations from the RFEF of its support for Valencia and Vigo to host World Cup matches, a tournament Spain will co-host with Morocco and Portugal. Statements made by RFEF President Rafael Lozano have now transformed into concrete action, with FIFA, the ultimate decision-maker, set to receive this written request in the coming days.

Valencia and Vigo had previously been excluded from the initial list of eleven chosen cities for various reasons. However, it was clear at the time that the final project would undergo modifications during its implementation phases, and the first significant changes have occurred in recent weeks.

Construction work on the "New Mestalla" stadium began in 2007 but halted in 2009 due to financial problems faced by Valencia CF. In January 2025, the club announced the resumption of work, which had been paused for over 16 years, with completion expected by 2027.

Malaga and La Coruña have withdrawn their candidacies to host matches, opening the door for Valencia and Vigo, both of which had expressed interest in hosting the World Cup from the outset.

FIFA representatives visited Spain in recent weeks to oversee the stadiums included in the RFEF's bid file, excluding Malaga and La Coruña, which had withdrawn. The inspected stadiums included Anoeta (Real Sociedad), Camp Nou (Barcelona), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), La Cartuja (Sevilla), Metropolitano (Atlético Madrid), Nueva Romareda (Real Zaragoza), RCD Espanyol Stadium (Espanyol), San Mamés (Athletic Bilbao), and Santiago Bernabéu (Real Madrid).

Malaga's withdrawal was primarily due to economic discrepancies within the project, while La Coruña's withdrawal resulted from disagreements over the implementation of renovations for the Riazor stadium.

FIFA's main office in Switzerland will not discuss the 2030 World Cup bid until next September, as its current focus is on next summer's tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.