The Canarian Government’s Minister for Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, Poli Suárez, enthusiastically welcomed the announcement by the Royal Spanish Football Federation that Gran Canaria and Tenerife will be the host and co-host, respectively, of the 2030 World Cup, which Spain will jointly organize with Portugal and Morocco.
The regional Sports Minister stated that this selection “represents a success for all” citizens and “all” institutions that have worked towards achieving this “historic milestone,” as reported by the Canarian Ministry in a press release.
The organization stated that it will have the “full support” of the Canarian Government, expressing the hope that “all” institutions will work “together” to make the event a “global impact and as of today puts the entire archipelago and, especially, Gran Canaria, at the center of everyone’s attention, a resounding success.”
They also expressed confidence that this designation will demonstrate that this region “has more than enough capacity to host top-level events,” emphasizing that it represents a “unique and unparalleled international showcase” for the Canary Islands.
The Minister has always been an advocate for the candidacy even before taking up the position in the Sports Ministry, as in 2022 he presented a non-binding proposition in the Canarian Parliament for Gran Canaria to be the official host of the 2030 World Cup, which was ultimately approved unanimously.
Other cities
Furthermore, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has identified the 45 sub-headquarters or Team Base Camps (TBC in FIFA terminology) to be proposed in the official dossier. These sub-headquarters will allow the passion for football and the benefits of the World Cup, in various areas, to be distributed throughout the national territory.
In particular, up to 16 autonomous communities will have facilities from their territories proposed as sub-headquarters in the dossier.
The final decision on the use of these sub-headquarters, which will now undergo a direct evaluation process by FIFA, will be up to the participating teams in the 2030 World Cup.
Between hosts and sub-headquarters, all the autonomous communities of Spain will be represented in this World Cup, which will have a positive impact on the largest number of citizens, either through job creation, improvement of infrastructure, attraction of tourism, attracting foreign investment, or transforming the industry.
The list of 45 sub-headquarters includes the presence of the Ciudad Deportiva José Luis Compañón in Álava; Ciudad Deportiva del Albacete, Camilo Cano de La Nucía, Alicante; the Elche training ground; Villaitana Football Center in Benidorm, the Power Horse Stadium; the Francisco de la Hera Stadium in Badajoz; and the Nuevo Vivero Stadium in the same city.
In Jérez, the Barceló Montecastillo Golf & Sports Resort will be available, while in Cádiz, the Barceló Costa Ballena Golf & Spa and the Fairplay Golf & Spa Resort will host personnel.
The Ciudad Deportiva Javier Pérez of CD Tenerife, the Nando Yosu 1 and 2 facilities in Santander, the Villarreal Sports City, Córdoba, and Girona will also serve as training grounds for national teams. The latter city also has the Torremirona Relais Hotel Golf & Spa and the Camiral Golf & Wellness – Escuela de la Vinya.
Granada, Eibar, Mallorca, Ibiza Logroñés, Ponferradina, Real Madrid, Getafe, Rayo Vallecano, and Leganés will also make their training grounds available.
The more recently popular training centres such as Salou Sports Center, Pinatar Arena Football Center, Alhama Arena Football Center, Estepona Football Center, and Marbella Football Center, where UD is currently holding its pre-season, will also host national teams; as will the José Fouto field in Mérida.
Tajonar (Osasuna), A Madroa (Celta de Vigo), and Mareo (Sporting de Gijón) will serve as sub-headquarters. Similarly, the training grounds of Valladolid, Levante, and Paterna (Valencia).
Finally, the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club and the DoubleTree by Hilton La Torre Golf & Spa Resort in Murcia will also be hotels where both teams and staff will be accommodated.
