'World's greatest football stadium' left abandoned could now be used for World Cup

World Cup 2030 could host matches in a stadium once teased as the 'world's greatest' following a restructure of the schedule. This comes after several cities that were poised to host fixtures in four years' time withdrew from consideration. Morocco, Spain and Portugal are all set to co-host the tournament.

Earlier this month, A Coruna became the latest city to pull out of its commitment after deciding the cost of hosting games would not be worth the outlay. That's after Malaga also took itself off the billing, citing logistical concerns regarding the renovation of La Rosaleda. The situation has left Spanish football authorities scrambling to bulk out its list of host venues after it initially had 11 stadia in nine cities ready to be used. And the Nou Mestalla in Valencia could take over.

The potential 70,000-seater stadium has been under construction since 2007 and saw its operation halted in 2009 following major concerns over funding. However, the project was rescued in January 2025 when construction work restarted.

The Nou Mestalla was proposed by the Spanish football federation as one of its original selections to host games at World Cup 2030. However, the venue was rejected (along with Balaidos in Vigo) as it would have violated FIFA laws on a maximum of 20 host venues at any World Cup.

It therefore stands to reason the Nou Mestalla would be one of the primary picks to step in and host following the withdrawals. And AS reported Valencia is one of the communities that could have a lot to gain from the investment that comes with hosting at the World Cup.

Nuria Montes, secretary general of Hosbec, the Valencian hotel and tourism association, said: "Valencia is already one of Europe’s top destinations, so its tourism future doesn’t hinge on this World Cup.

"But it is a chance to reach distant markets - Asia, the Middle East, North America - and could accelerate long‑delayed airport expansion plans."

There are concerns San Sebastian could join the growing list of host pull-outs in future. Real Sociedad's 42,300-seat Anoeta Stadium (or Reale Arena) is currently being renovated for use but residents in the community have written to FIFA asking to be removed from the schedule due to overtourism concerns.

Madrid is likely to take centre stage at the tournament, with both Real's Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and Atletico's Riyad Air Metropolitano among the largest in the country. Barcelona's Spotify Camp Nou is the largest in the country, meanwhile, and will be able to host a little more than 100,000 fans by the time its renovations are done.

That still doesn't match up against Casablanca's Hassan II Stadium, which can seat a total of 115,000 fans. Morocco will become the first North African nation to host a World Cup, while Portugal will also welcome the tournament to its borders for the first time.