17e5c6Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that a delegation from FIFA will visit Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona next Monday as part of an inspection tour to assess stadiums proposed to host matches of the FIFA World Cup 2030, which will be jointly organized by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.
According to the report, the visit is part of the first round of inspections carried out by FIFA to evaluate candidate stadiums and host nations four years ahead of the tournament. Spotify Camp Nou will be the first stop on March 9, where officials will review the progress of the stadium’s redevelopment. The venue recently hosted the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético Madrid with an attendance of 45,399 spectators, the highest crowd recorded there this season.
The newspaper added that construction of the third tier is expected to be completed by the middle of next season, increasing the stadium’s capacity to around 105,000 seats, while installation of the roof is projected to be finished between late 2027 and early 2028.
Spotify Camp Nou is also considered a strong candidate to host the final, after the mayor of Barcelona confirmed that the city officially submitted its bid through the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The stadium faces competition from Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid and Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca.
FIFA’s itinerary will also include a visit to RCDE Stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat on Monday, before traveling to Zaragoza. On Wednesday, officials will head to Madrid to inspect Santiago Bernabéu and Metropolitano Stadium if both are confirmed as World Cup venues.
The delegation will then travel to Portugal on Thursday to continue its inspection tour. Additional visits to other Spanish venues will follow, although Málaga has already withdrawn from the hosting race. Remaining candidate cities include Seville, Bilbao, San Sebastián, and A Coruña, with the possibility of adding Valencia and Vigo after next summer’s tournament. Meanwhile, Morocco has six candidate stadiums, compared to three in Portugal.