Spain has entered a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, with Barcelona's Nou Camp and Real Madrid's Bernabeu in contention to host the final. The bid would seek to use venues and infrastructure from the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Spain will co-host with Morocco and Portugal.
The Spanish Rugby Federation (RFER) said it aims to deliver the "best World Cup in history", with Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium and the Mestalla in Valencia also listed as possible venues. Argentina and Japan are also bidding for the tournament, with World Rugby expected to announce a preferred bidder next year.
Juan Carlos Martin 'Hansen', executive president of the Spanish federation, said the country has complete confidence in its organisational capability and that its sports infrastructure is at the cutting edge of innovation. He described rugby as becoming part of Spain's identity and said the next nine years could mark a step change for the sport across the country.
Spain has already qualified for the 2027 tournament in Australia, which will be its first men's World Cup appearance since 1999. The country also hopes to grow interest by bidding for the Champions and Challenge Cup finals in Madrid in 2029 and the Top 14 final in Barcelona in 2030. A total of 14 stadiums have been submitted to World Rugby, which will be reduced to nine or 10 if the Spanish bid is successful.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing