FIFA will conduct a new series of inspection visits in November and December in the cities bidding to host matches at the 2030 World Cup in Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Six Moroccan cities will be included in this latest stage of the process, which will play a key role in the final selection of stadiums.
“A FIFA delegation, comprising representatives from key functional areas, will travel to the host cities and visit the stadiums in the three countries. An essential component of the venue selection process, these visits allow FIFA to assess the state of preparations, as well as the operational plans and infrastructure proposed by each candidate venue,” the governing body said in a statement published on its official website.
The delegation will meet representatives of local, regional and national authorities, stadium operators, transport and mobility stakeholders, accommodation providers and other key partners.
“The delegation will visit the following candidate host cities: Agadir, Barcelona, Bilbao, Casablanca, Fez, Las Palmas, Lisbon, Madrid, Marrakech, Porto, Rabat, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Seville and Tangier. In addition, FIFA reserves the right to visit other sites during the stadium selection process,” FIFA said.
The visits will allow FIFA to compare the projects presented in the bids with conditions on the ground. They will assess progress, identify any adjustments that may be required and verify whether the facilities meet the requirements imposed on the host countries.
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Although the three countries already know the cities bidding to host the tournament, the final allocation of matches has yet to be determined.
FIFA said the inspections will provide a basis for its decisions on the final selection of the cities and stadiums that will host matches at the 2030 World Cup.
The number of matches allocated to each city, as well as their importance within the tournament, will only be determined after the venues are confirmed, as part of the official schedule-making process.
For now, FIFA has not announced a detailed itinerary for the visits or a date for the final selection. It said it will continue working closely with authorities and other stakeholders in the three host countries.
