Spanish soccer federation manipulated the ranking of 2030 World Cup venues

There is a new controversy involving the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF). Spain's top soccer body allegedly manipulated the choice of stadiums to host the 2030 World Cup, a competition in which the country will be one of the hosts, along with Portugal and Morocco.

According to an exclusive report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the RFEF published a ranking on June 23, 2024, detailing the 11 stadiums that correspond to Spain for the 2030 World Cup. However, two days later, the body altered the document and exchanged one of the venues that was set to host the tournament for another that had been left out.

The stadium that benefited from the change is Anoeta, located in San Sebastián, a city known for the San Sebastián Film Festival, and the one that lost out is Balaídos, located in Vigo, in northwestern Spain.

In the original ranking, Balaídos had obtained a rating of 10.2004 points, while Anoeta was left out of the eleven venues, achieving a score of 10.1226.

In the new document published 48 hours later, Balaídos, whose rating had not changed, was left out of the 2030 World Cup, as Anoeta had an updated score of 10.6026, making it the venue for the top soccer competition for national teams.

Government asked Vigo to host

Although the specific reason for the change is not known at the moment, the High Council of Sports (Consejo Superior de Deportes, or CSD), a body under the Spanish government, requested that the city of Vigo be one of the 11 venues for the 2030 World Cup.

The CSD delivered its request to the RFEF in a letter on July 18, according to sports newspaper As. That is, half a month after the RFEF had the ranking of stadiums drawn up.

Upon learning that Vigo and Valencia, another city that requested to host the tournament and is not, would not be among the venues, the CSD went directly to FIFA to convey its disagreement with the absence of the two cities.

"The first, Valencia, is one of the great capitals of the Mediterranean and the second, Vigo, is closely linked to Portugal, in particular with the city of Porto. Both Valencia and Vigo will be ready, along with the other nine cities designated by the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation, to host the World Cup in 2030 in relation to Spain," wrote the CSD in a letter sent to FIFA.

This is the latest controversy involving the RFEF. Prior to this, there was the case known as the Rubiales case, in which the former president of the federation Luis Rubiales was sentenced to pay 10,800 euros (roughly $11,700) for sexually assaulting the soccer player Jenni Hermoso after kissing her. Other RFEF officials were also involved in this case.