Málaga has officially withdrawn from the race to become a host city for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly organized by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. As announced by the city's mayor, Francisco De la Torre, the decision was made because hosting the World Cup poses a risk to the club and a burden to the fans, “and it’s not worth it.”

Club over World Cup

The primary reasons behind the withdrawal include the high cost of renovating La Rosaleda (approximately €270 million) and the fact that the temporary venue (Ciudad de Málaga) could only accommodate 12,500 spectators — while Málaga CF currently has over 26,000 season ticket holders. When choosing between the World Cup and the club, we choose the club and its fans, said De la Torre, emphasizing that the city's priority is the development of the local team. Despite stepping away from the World Cup project, the mayor confirmed that a new stadium will still be built — either on the current La Rosaleda site or elsewhere in the city — but independently of the 2030 tournament.

In response to the mayor’s announcement, the opposition PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) called for an extraordinary city council meeting (scheduled for July 24). Their representative, Daniel Pérez, accused the administration of negligence and misleading the public, arguing that Málaga’s failure to meet FIFA’s requirements had been evident for months.

© Kuba Kowalski

Valencia and Vigo back in contention

Meanwhile, Valencia is reapplying for host city status, supported by the resumption of work on the Nou Mestalla. Vigo, which was also initially excluded, remains in the running as well.