Barcelona's Nou Camp, Real Madrid's Bernabeu and Valencia's Mestalla are all on a list of possible stadiums as Spain bids to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035. The Spanish Rugby Federation says it aims to deliver the "best World Cup in history", connecting the tournament to 700 million Spanish speakers worldwide. If the bid succeeds, the revamped Nou Camp is in line to host the final, which would be the first time the showpiece has been held in front of more than 100,000 fans. Argentina and Japan are also bidding, with World Rugby expected to announce its preferred bidder in the spring or summer of 2027.
Spanish authorities say the tournament would capitalise on the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Spain will co-host with Morocco and Portugal. The bid has the support of the Spanish government and La Liga. Federation executive president Juan Carlos Martin 'Hansen' said the country has "complete confidence in our organisational capability" and that hosting would bring "new and unique dimensions of hospitality, collaboration, unity and friendship" to the global rugby family.
Spain has qualified for the 2027 tournament in Australia, its first men's World Cup appearance since 1999. The federation aims to triple the number of people playing the sport by 2035 and establish Spain as a Tier One rugby nation. Spain has hosted two European Women's finals weekends at Bilbao's San Mames, and the 2016 Top 14 final was held at the Nou Camp in front of 99,124 supporters. The San Mames is among 14 stadiums submitted to World Rugby, a list that will be reduced to 9 or 10 if the bid succeeds.
Argentina's bid carries emotional weight given the Pumas' role in past World Cups, but it would need to prove infrastructure and financial strength comparable to Spain and Japan. Japan remains a serious contender following its success at the 2019 tournament.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing