Featured image credit: Bradley Rial
Spanish LaLiga club Real Madrid is reportedly planning on expanding the capacity of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu to 85,000 so it can host the FIFA World Cup final in 2030.
The Bernabéu only recently underwent a wide-ranging transformation project, which included the installation of a retractable roof and a multi-purpose pitch.
Madrid-based news outlet Relevo has now reported that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is keen on a further capacity increase ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Spain will co-host alongside Portugal and Morocco.
Relevo reports that Real Madrid is “studying ways” to increase the number of seats ahead of the World Cup. The club is said to prefer a permanent solution over temporary seating so it can reap the long-term benefits after the World Cup.
FIFA rules state that the World Cup final stadium must have a capacity of at least 80,000. There is some uncertainty over the exact capacity of the Bernabéu following the redevelopment project, with Pérez having stated that the stadium is capable of holding 80,000 fans “give or take a thousand”.
So far this season, Real Madrid’s attendance has only surpassed 78,000 on two occasions, against rivals Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid. Real Madrid recently retained top spot in the Deloitte Football Money League, with matchday revenues at the revamped Bernabéu contributing to the figures.
The other two main candidates to host the World Cup final in 2030 are Barcelona’s revamped Spotify Camp Nou and Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge new stadium set to open in the Moroccan city of Casablanca.
The Camp Nou is in the midst of a major revamp, with its capacity to stand at 105,000 once the project is completed. Barcelona is hoping to move back into the stadium before the end of the season, although it would be operating at a reduced capacity while redevelopment work continues.
Meanwhile, the Grand Stade Hassan II is set to have a capacity of 115,000, which would make it the largest football stadium in the world once completed. In January, Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), claimed that the stadium would be ready by 2027 – three years before the World Cup.
While the bulk of World Cup 2030 matches will take place across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, celebratory matches will also be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark 100 years since Uruguay hosted the inaugural event in 1930.
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