Spain’s bid director for the FIFA World Cup 2030 has stepped down after being accused of fixing the process to decide which stadiums would host matches by favoring one city over another.
Sportstar said Maria Tato stood down from her post at the Spanish football federation (RFEF) following a report published by newspaper El Mundo which said ratings for potential venues were altered to favor Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian, at the expense of Balaidos Stadium in Vigo.
The 40,000-capacity Anoeta Stadium is a football stadium in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain, which was inaugurated in 1993. It serves as the home ground of the LaLiga team Real Sociedad.
Tato, one of the main people responsible for Spain’s application process, decided to step aside after the leak of audios that revealed alleged manipulations in the scores of the selected venues.
El Mundo published a report that exposed audios in which Tato allegedly manipulated the ratings of the competing stadiums.
The intention, according to the recordings, was to favor the Anoeta Stadium, in San Sebastián, to the detriment of Balaídos Stadium, in Vigo.
The audios, in which the now former director of the Spanish Federation’s bid for the 2030 World Cup participated, reveal details about the scores given to the potential World Cup venues.
The meeting took place on June 25, 2024, in Las Rozas and was attended by the former head of the organizing team, Fernando Sanz, and Joana Soares, from the Strategy area.
The RFEF gave assurances that the evaluation process was carried out under various criteria, complying with the parameters required by FIFA.
However, officials in some cities, like Vigo (the city where Balaídos is located), demanded the publication of the evaluations and final conclusions after the scandal.
Amid the repercussions caused by the leak in Spain, Tato submitted her resignation, which was accepted by Rafael Louzán, president of the RFEF.
Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, said on X, “On 25 June 2024, Balaidos was among the 11 venues (in Spain), but on 27 June the list was modified. This is extremely serious, we demand that they explain to us who changed it, why and with what criteria.”
The federation announced last year that Spain would have 11 venues at the tournament, including Barcelona’s rebuilt Camp Nou stadium and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, while co-hosts Portugal have three and Morocco six.
The RFEF has been hit with various crises in recent years.
Former president Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace in September 2023 after forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s triumph in Sydney.
His successor Pedro Rocha was suspended for overstepping his duties after initially arriving on an interim basis, with Rafael Louzan taking the reins in December 2024.
Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at www.coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.