Spain has rowed back on earlier reports about where the final of the 2030 World Cup will be played. After strong signals that Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid was the clear favourite, officials are now stressing that no final decision has been taken.
The 2030 tournament will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with the opening matches set to take place in South America to mark the World Cup centenary. For Spain, the battle over the showpiece final has become a sensitive topic, with several cities pushing their case.
In recent weeks the Bernabéu was widely presented as the leading option, helped by its recent redevelopment and its status as one of the country’s most iconic stadiums. But Spain’s position has changed, and the message coming out now is more cautious: the final venue has not yet been confirmed.
The reveal is that Spain is no longer putting forward Madrid as the settled choice. Instead, the country is signalling that the selection process is still open, meaning other Spanish venues remain in the running as planning for the first 48-team World Cup in Europe and Africa continues.
