THE 2030 FIFA World Cup will no longer be coming to the Costa del Sol after Malaga withdrew its candidacy to be a host city for the tournament, jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Mayor Francisco de la Torre announced the move in a press conference on Saturday morning, citing viability issues regarding renovation of Malaga CF’s La Rosaleda stadium.
Malaga was one of nine cities put forward by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to host the tournament, alongside A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Madrid, San Sebastian, Sevilla and Zaragoza.
But the city is no longer in the running, with plans to expand La Rosaleda and find an alternative ground for Malaga CF in the meantime grinding to a halt.
“It is not worth it,” declared de la Torre, accompanied by representatives from the Junta de Andalucia and Provincial Council.
“This isn’t about money. It’s about doing what is best for the club, the fans and the city,” the mayor said. “We don’t want Malaga CF to spend two seasons without their supporters. Either we damage the club or withdraw in a way that would hurt Spain’s image.
“The most responsible thing is to withdraw Malaga’s candidacy for the 2030 World Cup,” he added.
The decision opens the doorway for Valencia, the likely favourites to replace Malaga as a host city.
Last week, Valencia CF announced the club had secured the full €322 million funding required for a new stadium, set to be one of the largest in Europe with over 70,000 seats, nearly 10% of which will be hospitality.
Another alternative would be Vigo in Galicia, which had been mooted as a potential host city but ultimately failed to make the cut.
Many fans and locals have been left disappointed by the move. Writing on X, one said: “It’s about time that those who decided to submit the candidacy and those who backed it be sacked or resign.”
Another added: “What a disappointment […] In this city, they only patch things up, they don’t think about the future, and now we lose the chance to be a World Cup host.”
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