A stadium once hailed as the ‘world’s greatest football’ venue has been overlooked as a venue for the 2030 World Cup.
FIFA has proposed twenty-three venues for the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted across an unprecedented six countries. The list was confirmed at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress on December 11.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are set to be the main hosts of the tournament, with the first three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to commemorate the competition’s centenary. The revelation that Valencia’s incomplete Nou Mestalla will not host any games is unsurprising given the protracted issues surrounding the new arena since 2007.
The currently abandoned 80,000-seater has experienced a troubled development period, with the World Cup rejection being the latest in a series of setbacks for the faltering project as is known as a ‘ghost ground’. There were hopes that the stadium, revitalised by city officials in July, could be ready for the World Cup.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Valencia Council approved the building permit for the beleaguered ground a staggering 15 years after construction on the new stadium was halted, reports the Mirror. It was even included in the government’s initial plan when selecting venues for the tournament.
However, it appears to be too little, too late for the region to participate in the 2030 tournament, as the stadium remains unfinished with no end date in sight. Instead of the proposed 13, eleven stadiums have now been officially nominated.
The chosen arenas include Real Sociedad’s Estadio Anoeta, Barcelona’s revamped Camp Nou, Las Palmas’ Estadio Gran Canaria, Sevilla’s La Cartuja and Malaga’s La Rosaleda.
Completing the list of eleven venues are Atletico de Madrid’s Metropolitano, Real Zaragoza’s Nueva Romareda, Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium, Deportivo de la Coruna’s Riazor, Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames and the Santiago Bernabeu, the legendary home of Real Madrid.
The excitement around the Nou Mestalla has significantly cooled since Valencia touted it as a future contender for the ‘world’s greatest stadium’. What was initially intended to be a ‘luxurious’ and ‘state-of-the-art’ 80,000 seater stadium now finds itself reduced in capacity due to the extended construction period, with 49,000 now being the targeted capacity.
The completion date is now expected to be sometime in 2025. However, there has been no confirmation as to when fans will be able to watch a match in the troubled ground.
Despite the hurdles, Valencia’s sale of land on the site of their new stadium in August, a deal estimated to be worth around €40 million, has cleared most obstacles. Club President Layhoon Chan announced that the new stadium would now cost €340 million and that loans used for its construction will be partially repaid by selling off the land.
Last month, the club also agreed to refinance its debt, which will enable the La Liga side to raise crucial funds. The six-time Spanish champions currently play at the Mestalla, their home since 1923.
The Mestalla can accommodate 50,000 spectators and is now Spain’s eighth-largest stadium. However, following the club’s success in the early 2000s, it was decided to provide the club with a grand new home.
Former president Juan Soler announced plans for a new stadium as far back as November 2006. Plans for the arena to be completed by 2010 were quickly dismissed due to financial issues plaguing the development.
Work on the stadium stopped as the club sought new funding to resurrect the project. Despite the club’s extravagant plans for the city’s new centrepiece, it seems it may still be some time before Valencia can call the Nou Mestalla their new home.
