Here’s a look at the 23 stadiums shortlisted by FIFA to host World Cup 2030 games across six countries!
A total of 23 stadiums have been picked to host games for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, including Barcelona’s Camp Nou and Morocco’s record-breaking Hassan II Stadium.
Spain, the newly crowned world champions, will play an important part in the 2030 tournament as co-hosts alongside Portugal and Morocco.
To celebrate 100 years of the World Cup, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will also host an opening match to honor the very first World Cup.
The first World Cup in 1930 was held in Uruguay, where they beat Argentina in the final. Paraguay is also part of the celebration since it’s where the South American football body, Conmebol, is based—it was the only football federation around at that time.
FIFA said in 2024: “The 2030 tournament is a special milestone, marking 100 years since the first FIFA World Cup took place in South America across three stadiums. After talks with all regions, the FIFA Council chose to celebrate the centenary in South America, mainly in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.”
In total, Spain will host games in 11 stadiums, Morocco in six, and Portugal in three. As mentioned, one match each will take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Mexico as part of the centenary events.
Here’s the summary:
– Total stadiums: 23
– Host countries: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay
– Largest stadium: Hassan II Stadium (115,000 seats)
– Final venue: To be confirmed
Along with Camp Nou, other big stadiums like Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu and Benfica’s Estadio da Luz are included.
One stadium that was originally picked was Deportivo’s Riazor in Spain, which holds 32,000 fans. However, the stadium’s owners decided they couldn’t justify hosting World Cup games “at any price.”
A statement shared by StadiumDB explained that RC Deportivo’s main goal is to keep the Riazor stadium well-maintained for their fans and to invest in their teams rather than risk the club’s future by hosting the World Cup.
Earlier in March, Deportivo, the local Provincial Council, and City Council all confirmed plans to modernize the Riazor stadium. But as part of this decision, the stadium will give up its 2030 World Cup hosting rights.
Valentin Gonzalez Formoso, president of the Provincial Council, said: “With many sports facilities improving across Europe, A Coruna deserves a clear commitment from the authorities, which we will be working on in the coming weeks and months.”