The cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque region have combined efforts to bid for hosting matches at the 2030 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Local authorities from both cities, along with the Basque regional government, have been diligently working for four years towards this goal. They have decided to merge their bids into a single proposal, with each stadium hosting two group-stage matches.
Initially, Bilbao and San Sebastian had submitted separate bids for their respective stadiums to host World Cup matches. However, they have now opted to present a joint bid, bringing their stadiums, located just 101 kilometers apart, together. Recent concerns were raised by the city councils regarding the strict FIFA requirements, both financially and in terms of public impact.
This collaboration marks the first World Cup in North Africa since 2010, in South America since 2014, and in Europe since 2018. It will also be the first time Morocco, Portugal, and Paraguay host the event, along with Uruguay since 1930, Argentina since 1978, and Spain since 1982. The bidding process for the 2030 World Cup began in 2022, with certain confederations ineligible to bid due to hosting the previous tournaments.
