Spain venue in overdrive to host FIFA show

Article posted by Coliseum, November 10^th, 2023

Image: Gran Canaria Stadium, Tolagorn, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Gran Canaria Stadium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, will increase its capacity to 44,462 spectators in the main work planned by the island’s bid to become the venue for the next 2030 World Cup to be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

‘EFE’ stated that the Cabildo, owner of the facility, detailed this recently on the Gran Canaria Arena track, and through images projected on the video scoreboard, the improvization activities that will be carried out, not only in the stadium itself but also in its surroundings. The revamp work price tag will stand at circa 79 million euros with a scheduled completion date of 2027, regardless of whether or not next December it is chosen as the World Cup venue.

The 32,400-capacity Gran Canaria Stadium is a football stadium in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. It is currently used for football matches and is home to the LaLiga team UD Las Palmas. It was opened in 2003.

The Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, commonly referred to as UD Las Palmas or Las Palmas, is a professional football club based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. The club competes in LaLiga, the top division of the Spanish football league system.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 24^th FIFA World Cup™, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The 2030 World Cup will mark the centennial World Cup competition. For the first time, three countries from two continents will host the competition, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the host nations. Additionally, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will serve as nations that open the event, as a commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the first World Cup in Uruguay. This will be the first World Cup held in Africa since 2010, in South America since 2014, as well as in Europe since 2018.

The Cabildo de Gran Canaria is the administrative and legislative body of the island of Gran Canaria. The Cabildo is managed by the Office of Information and Public Information Services of Gran Canaria.

‘EFE’ further stated that as explained by Ricardo Pereira Pérez de los Cobos, Architect of the Insular Sports Institute, the improvements to the Gran Canaria Stadium also includes a fully covered stadium as well as the creation of a new upper ring in the Naciente, Sur stands and Curve.

The first of those aforementioned stands, now located about 37 meters away from the playing field, will be brought closer to about 14 meters from it without the need to modify access to the locker rooms.

With the new stands, the current capacity of 32,418 spectators will go up to more than 37 percent, to 44,462 seats, and the stadium will also sport a new exterior skin, with a futuristic façade.

Likewise, two new external areas will be added to the existing parking spaces in the venue itself and in the Gran Canaria Arena, with more than 46,000 square meters dedicated to vehicles in order to comply with one of the many requirements of FIFA to host soccer showcases.

The Fondos del Segura Street, parallel to the South Stand, will also be modified and new roads and a bike lane will be built.

The President of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, asserted that the Gran Canaria Stadium makes for a “perfect venue” to host the 2030 World Cup.

Morales have once again demanded that there be “transparency” while choosing the venues for the 2030 World Cup. Rumors are rife that the Gran Canaria Stadium will be ruled out as a 2030 FIFA show venue. Several other functionaries argued that the venue was a “perfect fit” to host the greatest soccer show on the planet.

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