The iconic home of Deportivo de La Coruna, Estadio Riazor, has been earmarked by the Spanish bid as one of the country’s venues, but stalled planning and funding snags have left its future uncertain.
However, the former Champions League venue now faces a real prospect of losing its place as a host stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2030 after persistent delays and a lack of clear progress on essential upgrades.
Riazor, which hosted group matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, was included on Spain, Portugal and Morocco’s proposed roster of stadiums for the 2030 tournament, but local officials have been unable to progress a detailed modernisation project that would bring the ground up to FIFA’s standards for such a prestigious event.
Stalled planning threatens Estadio Riazor World Cup status
According to Talk Sport, the central sticking point is that no major renovation work has begun, despite earlier commitments from the City of Coruna to draw up plans and meet tight deadlines imposed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation and FIFA.
Sources close to the situation indicate that bureaucratic delays, unclear financing and political disputes over how and when the stadium should be improved have left Riazor struggling to move beyond conceptual proposals.
Renovations were originally projected to cost €3.5m (£3m), with an initial €1.5m (£1.3m) allocated last year to kick-start the project, but the funding has now been removed from the city’s budget.
This deadlock has prompted widespread concern that Riazor’s slot in the World Cup host line-up could be given to another venue if progress is not made soon.
Local politicians and club officials have periodically held meetings to discuss the stadium’s renovation, but technical project details and funding arrangements have not been finalised, leaving Riazor’s place on the 2030 schedule in jeopardy.
Without firm contracts and construction timelines, observers warn that FIFA may look elsewhere if it believes the stadium will not be ready in time.
Spain’s bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup was formally confirmed by FIFA in December 2024, in a joint arrangement alongside Portugal and Morocco, as part of a celebration of the tournament’s centenary.
The Spanish host list includes major stadiums such as Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with Riazor among the smaller venues earmarked to provide geographic balance.
Part of the issue for Riazor is that current seating capacity, around 32,000, falls below the levels usually sought for World Cup group matches, meaning plans have long included a significant expansion of the bowl and amenities.
But with few concrete steps taken so far and a rapidly approaching construction window, the likelihood that full refurbishment will finish by the tournament is fading.
FGG Says
If Riazor loses its hosting rights, it would be a blow to Deportivo de La Coruna and the city, depriving local fans of a once-in-a-generation event and potentially redirecting World Cup matches to larger venues elsewhere in Spain. That might also affect regional tourism income projected from global visitor interest in the tournament.
If authorities and Deportivo truly believe in the city’s role in the 2030 World Cup, they must accelerate planning, secure funding and prove that Riazor can still play its part in history.