Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), has revealed more details on the planned redevelopment of Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario, which is set to host the opening match of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In an interview with Uruguayan news programme Telemundo, Alonso revealed that the stadium is set to close at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026 so the work can be carried out.
The cost of the redevelopment has not been finalised but Alonso said that it would be between $120m (£93m/€109m) and $140m and mainly be funded by private investment. The project is set to take around two and a half years.
A central part of the project will be the installation of a new roof covering most of the stadium, while the venue’s capacity will increase from 60,000 to 63,000. New hospitality suites and enhanced accessibility routes will also be fitted.
The AUF released conceptual designs of what a renovated Estadio Centenario could look like at the end of last month, when its bid book for the 2030 World Cup was submitted to FIFA.
The 2030 World Cup will mainly take place in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, but celebratory matches will also be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark 100 years since Uruguay staged the inaugural tournament in 1930.
More details emerged over the venue plan for the tournament last month as the bid books were submitted. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously said that Montevideo would host the opening match.
Following the opening match, Buenos Aires and Asunción are due to host a match of their own before the tournament moves to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Spain has proposed 11 stadiums for the tournament, while six have been proposed in Morocco and three in Portugal.
FIFA announced in October last year that the 2030 World Cup would take place in six countries spanning three continents.
The bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain was selected as the sole candidate to stage the tournament, but a compromise was reached for the three South American countries, which had submitted a bid of their own, to host one match each.
Estadio Centenario is the only stadium in the world that has been declared a FIFA World Football Historical Monument, receiving the designation in 1983.
