FIFA impressed by progress at Camp Nou

As previously reported by the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, a delegation from FIFA visited the new stadium of FC Barcelona, the Spotify Camp Nou, this Monday. 

The visit is part of a broader inspection tour the governing body of world football is carrying out across the three host countries of the 2030 FIFA World Cup: Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.

The Barcelona stadium was the first stop on the itinerary. During the visit, FIFA officials were able to see firsthand the progress of the ongoing renovation project. 

The stadium recently reached a new milestone during last Tuesday’s second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atlético Madrid, when it hosted 45,399 spectators, the highest attendance recorded at the venue so far this season.

However, club officials are hoping to receive approval from the Barcelona City Council as early as Tuesday to obtain the so called 1C license. 

If granted, it would allow the reopening of the first and second tiers of the stadium for the upcoming match against Sevilla FC. 

This would increase the current capacity from around 45,401 seats to approximately 62,000 spectators, marking another step toward the stadium’s projected full capacity of 105,000.

According to information obtained by Mundo Deportivo, the FIFA delegation left the stadium with a very positive impression. 

The venue is considered a candidate to host one of the tournament semifinals and could even be in contention for the final, although the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca are currently viewed as the leading favorites.

Later on Monday, the delegation is also scheduled to visit another stadium that will host matches during the 2030 World Cup, the RCDE Stadium.

On Tuesday, FIFA officials will travel to Zaragoza, while Wednesday’s schedule includes visits to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid. 

During their stay in the Spanish capital, they are expected to hold meetings with representatives from the Spanish government, the regional authorities of Madrid, the city council, and other institutions involved in the organization of the future tournament.

The FIFA delegation will travel to Portugal on Thursday and will resume visits to the remaining Spanish host cities the following Monday, starting in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 

The tour will include all candidate Spanish venues except Málaga, which has already withdrawn from hosting duties. The remaining cities under consideration are Seville, Bilbao, San Sebastián, and A Coruña.

No decisions regarding potential additional venues will be announced during this initial visit. In Spain’s case, cities such as Vigo and Valencia remain possible candidates to join the list of hosts.

This trip represents an initial round of inspections and meetings as FIFA begins its organizational work for the 2030 World Cup. Final conclusions will only be drawn once the delegation returns to Switzerland. 

The definitive selection and configuration of host venues across the three countries is expected to begin after the summer, once the 2026 FIFA World Cup in United States, Mexico, and Canada has concluded. At that point, FIFA will conduct another round of visits to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.