The decision to select eleven Spanish cities to host the 2030 World Cup, to be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, has been met with mixed reactions. A disgruntled Valencia was joined by Vigo and, unsurprisingly, Deportivo La Coruña, despite the club's stadium being selected.

Valencia and Vigo unhappy

Valencia CF expressed their dissatisfaction with the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) decision to exclude the city and Nou Mestalla from the list of hosts. The club argued that City met all the conditions to be one of the hosts, stressing that the stadium has the right capacity and categories according to UEFA. You can find the entire article on the change of decision for Valencia on our website.

Like Valencia, Vigo also expressed their disappointment. The city stressed that it has a stadium that has been extensively renovated and that it is the largest city in Galicia. The Vigo authorities accused the RFEF and the Galician football federation of acting politically against the city and the way they found out about the decision. According to the city, it was informed by the media. It was stressed that the city's candidacy project and Abanca Balaidos stadium were sound and that the decision to exclude it was unfair. According to Vigo, the federation favoured the candidature of Abanca-Riazor stadium, mentioning political decisions against the City Council.

We hope that this decision is not final, that it will be reconsidered and that such a great injustice will not be done to a city that has always been associated with top-level sport and recognised worldwide for successfully hosting competitions the note concluded.

© Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia | Estadio Abanca Balaídos

Deportivo against Riazor candidacy

Unlike other cities that were unhappy with the exclusion, Deportivo La Coruña expressed their dissatisfaction with the choice of Abanca-Riazor as one of the hosts. The club from A Coruña did not attend the municipal presentation of the World Cup venue.

Deportivo La Coruña issued a terse statement on Saturday pointing out the problems that Riazor's candidacy will cause if it hosts the 2030 World Cup. RC Deportivo's priority is to maintain the 32,471-capacity Riazor stadium in line with the needs of our subscribers and to provide the necessary budget to build our teams and invest in the development and growth of the club. Neither the club nor its shareholders are willing to jeopardise the sustainability of the club - a statement from Deportivo de la Coruña said.

This decision leaves Spain's third capital without one of its most important football events, despite the fact that Valencia has given sufficient evidence over the years of its ability to host world-class events, and that the final selection is still several months away - reported Deportivo in a press release. Could this herald a change of host by mutual consent?

© David Estany Garea / Concello A Coruña | Design of Estadio de Riazor