The FIFA delegation began inspecting Spain’s candidate stadiums for the 2030 World Cup on Thursday, November 5, with a visit to San Mamés in Bilbao, according to several Spanish media outlets, including AS.
The delegation was welcomed by Jon Berasategui, chief executive of Athletic Bilbao. Before arriving in Bilbao, its members made a brief stop in San Sebastián. Both Basque cities could be granted a special status for the tournament.
They are considering submitting a joint bid under an unusual arrangement. However, AS noted that the proposal still raises questions about its compatibility with FIFA’s requirements.
Under the plan, Bilbao and San Sebastián would share host-city status and divide the four matches the Basque Country hopes to stage. This differs from the original proposal, which called for eight matches, with four in each city. Spanish officials will now have to convince FIFA of the benefits of the revised arrangement.
San Mamés has already hosted two major European finals: the 2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League final and the 2025 UEFA Europa League final.
The 18-member FIFA delegation, comprising representatives from different “functional areas,” according to the Spanish outlet, arrived in the Basque Country from Portugal. Its previous stops included Lisbon’s José Alvalade and Estádio da Luz, as well as several hotel facilities and training venues. The representatives are scheduled to travel to Porto after Bilbao.
The inspection tour will continue throughout November and December, covering all three 2030 World Cup hosts: Morocco, Spain and Portugal. FIFA representatives are assessing each candidate city against the requirements set out in the bidding regulations, including sports infrastructure, security, logistics, accommodation and healthcare facilities.
The tournament is expected to be held across 16 stadiums, with eight in Spain, six in Morocco and two in Portugal. FIFA is expected to validate this allocation by the end of the year, giving added importance to the ongoing inspections.
Spain’s eight candidate venues are Santiago Bernabéu, Metropolitano, Camp Nou, Mestalla, Gran Canaria Stadium, San Mamés, Reale Arena and Stage Front Stadium.
