2030 World Cup stadiums: where the list stands (November 2026)

The 2030 stadium list is not settled. The 2024 bid book set out 20 stadiums for the main tournament — 11 in Spain, 3 in Portugal, 6 in Morocco — plus three South American grounds for the centenary matches. Since then, two Spanish cities have thrown in the towel and two more are waiting on FIFA’s verdict.

What has changed since 2024

Málaga (La Rosaleda) — withdrew on 12 July 2025. Reaching the capacity threshold FIFA requires meant a rebuild that Málaga CF judged too risky for the club.

A Coruña (Riazor) — withdrew on 16 March 2026. The redevelopment would have exceeded €100 million, with mobility problems on top. “The city cannot be a host city at any price,” said mayor Inés Rey. Riazor will be modernised, but on a smaller scale.

Valencia (Nou Mestalla) and Vigo (Balaídos) — proposed on 26 March 2026 by the Spanish federation (RFEF) to take the two vacant slots. In Valencia the site is moving: the roof, 4,800 tonnes carried by 50 steel columns 38 metres high, was to be lifted into its final position before the end of October 2026, with the covering itself installed in April 2027. Valencia CF now announces an opening in August 2027, where El Desmarque quoted 11 July: both point to the summer of 2027 without agreeing on the month. Balaídos, for its part, has yet to find funding for an extension to more than 42,000 seats.

What remains uncertain

• Bilbao and San Sebastián merged their bids on 1 June 2026 (two matches per stadium). Bilbao has set conditions for FIFA (free transport for ticket holders, commercial requirements) and must decide before November 2026; San Sebastián, whose Anoeta stadium is being redeveloped, has not ruled out withdrawing.
• The Metropolitano (Madrid) and the RCDE Stadium (Barcelona) were described as “in doubt” by El Desmarque on 2 July 2026 — summer concert revenue for one, capacity and proximity to the Camp Nou for the other. No withdrawal has been announced.
• The inspection now has a date, and the itinerary is public. On Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 14:00, FIFA announced a series of venue visits across Morocco, Portugal and Spain “during November and December this year”. The release names 15 candidate host cities: Agadir, Barcelona, Bilbao, Casablanca, Fez, Las Palmas, Lisbon, Madrid, Marrakech, Porto, Rabat, San Sebastián, Seville, Tangier and Zaragoza. The delegation brings together representatives from FIFA’s key functional areas and will meet local, regional and national authorities, stadium operators, transport and mobility stakeholders and accommodation providers. What it has to measure: readiness, operational plans and the proposed tournament infrastructure, against FIFA’s hosting requirements.
• Valencia and Vigo are not on that itinerary. Seven Spanish cities are named: Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Madrid, San Sebastián, Seville and Zaragoza. On 9 October, RFEF president Rafael Louzán was still announcing a tour of eleven Spanish cities. FIFA gives no explanation, but it sets out a caveat in the same release: it “may conduct visits to additional venues during the course of the venue selection process”. Being absent from the initial itinerary is therefore not a rejection, and neither city has been ruled out.
• Still no date for the final decision. FIFA states that the number and type of matches allocated to each venue will be settled only once the host cities have been confirmed, and that further information will follow “in due course”. It has not published a city by city schedule, and the Spanish general election of 29 November 2026 falls in the middle of the announced window. The deadlines floated by the press (December 2026 according to StadiumDB, January 2027 according to El Independiente) have never been confirmed by FIFA: a range, not a timetable.

The working list as of 30 August 2026

Spain (11): Santiago Bernabéu and Metropolitano (Madrid), Camp Nou and RCDE Stadium (Barcelona), La Cartuja (Seville), San Mamés (Bilbao), Anoeta (San Sebastián), Nueva Romareda (Zaragoza), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), plus Nou Mestalla (Valencia) and Balaídos (Vigo) awaiting approval.

Portugal (3): Estádio da Luz and José Alvalade (Lisbon), Estádio do Dragão (Porto).

Morocco (6): Grand Stade Hassan II (Benslimane), Prince Moulay Abdellah (Rabat), Grand Stade de Tanger, Grand Stade de Marrakech, Stade de Fès, Stade Adrar (Agadir).

Centenary matches (3): Estadio Centenario (Montevideo), Estadio Monumental (Buenos Aires, proposed by the bid), Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb (Asunción, announced by the Paraguayan press). FIFA has not officially designated the Argentine and Paraguayan stadiums.

Beware of out-of-date tables: the English-language Wikipedia page still listed Riazor in late August 2026. Our stadium pages are updated with every announcement.