Spain: Malaga is confident about 2030 World Cup. "Our success is certain."

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia

Spain: Malaga is confident about 2030 World Cup. Despite a number of reports in recent days that Málaga will fall off the list of 2030 World Cup stadiums, authorities assure that the candidacy is strong. In response to "speculation and fake news," in a firm communiqué describing the details of the case, they state: there is no doubt about the project.

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There is a will, so there will be a project and money

Although local media assure that in behind-the-scenes talks politicians are expressing the desire to withdraw from the race for the World Cup, things are different in public communication. Málaga City Hall, the provincial council and the Andalusian government issued a joint statement on Thursday to stop all speculation and fake news about the city abandoning its World Cup dream. The commitment of the three administrations to the necessary work is firm and unequivocal, they assured.

The resumption of work at Nou Mestalla has put at risk the candidacy of La Rosaleda, which does not yet have a final project nor cost. This, however, is not a problem for the authorities, who assure that they will cover the upgrade with public funds, although they are also considering the possibility of inviting private investors. There is no doubt about the financial and sporting viability of the project, believe the three administrations that co-own Malaga CF’s stadium.

Although the project presented in 2024 for the modernization of Estadio La Rosaleda is spectacular, it is not certain that it will come together in this form.© Junta de Andalucía | Although the project presented in 2024 for the modernization of Estadio La Rosaleda is spectacular, it is not certain that it will come together in this form.

Dialogue, acceleration and tourism

The threat from Nou Mestalla and funding concerns are not the only issues facing the city's Costa del Sol. As in the case of Coruña - the other threatened location - the club is not enthusiastic about redevelopment, and another pressing issue is the shrinking time to carry out the work, which must be completed in 2029, a year before the 2030 World Cup.

Here too, however, the three administrations are showing confidence. They assure dialogue with Malaga CF to find a realistic alternative for the duration of the redevelopment, which will likely force the club's move. And to make the project a reality in time, Andalusian authorities have found a way to accelerate it: they are considering a Declaration of Autonomous Interest which would shorten the administrative process.

The authorities' final argument is the location. Air links to Morocco, Portugal and Spain's major cities, sea routes leading to Rabat or Casablanca make Malaga, according to the three administrations, an ideal host for the World Cup. As they note, crowds of tourists flock to the city even without the tournament.

The politicians express confidence in the Spanish federation and FIFA, which, after all, only recently selected Malaga to host the World Cup in December. Despite recent reports that Gianni Infantino is seeking to reduce the number of cities for the tournament, they assure: The success of the 2030 World Cup in Málaga, the ideal place for it, is guaranteed.

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