Spain’s 2030 World Cup chief resigns over stadium fixing scandal

Maria Tato, the head of Spain’s 2030 World Cup organising committee, has resigned after being accused of unfairly changing the stadium selection process to benefit one city over another, according to media reports.

Reports claimed that the rankings for potential host stadiums were altered to favour Anoeta in San Sebastian, while Balaídos in Vigo was unfairly removed from the list.

Vigo’s mayor, Abel Caballero, expressed his frustration on social media platform X, saying: “On June 25, 2024, Balaidos was on the list of 11 stadiums in Spain, but by June 27, it was removed. This is very serious. We demand an explanation on who changed it, why, and based on what criteria.”

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has not responded to media inquiries regarding the issue.

Spain is set to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. Spain will have 11 host cities, including major venues like Barcelona’s Camp Nou and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, while Portugal will have three stadiums and Morocco six.

The RFEF has faced several scandals in recent years. Former president Luis Rubiales resigned in September 2023 after controversially kissing player Jenni Hermoso during Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory celebrations.

His successor, Pedro Rocha, was later suspended for exceeding his authority, and Rafael Louzán took over leadership in December 2024.