Spain submits bid for 2035 Rugby World Cup with Camp Nou final — BBC Sport
Spain has submitted a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup and is considering the redeveloped Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona as a potential venue for the final if its bid succeeds. Other potential venues include the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and Mestalla in Valencia, BBC Sport reports.
Fourteen potential venues
The Spanish Rugby Federation has submitted a list of 14 stadiums to World Rugby. If the country’s bid is selected, the list of venues will be reduced to nine or 10. The federation said it aims to stage “the best World Cup in history” and connect the tournament with 700 million Spanish speakers around the world.
Work to increase Camp Nou’s capacity began in June 2023 and is expected to be completed in early 2028. If the final is held at the venue, the match could become the first Rugby World Cup final played in front of an audience of more than 100,000 spectators.
Camp Nou previously hosted the 2016 French Top 14 championship final, which was attended by 99,124 fans. Spain also hosted the final weekends of European tournaments in Bilbao in 2018 and 2026, while World Rugby Sevens events are scheduled to take place in Castile and León in 2027 and 2028.
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Competition from Argentina and Japan
Japan and a group of South American countries led by Argentina are also bidding to host the tournament. Argentina’s bid includes Brazil, Chile and Uruguay; if it wins, the Rugby World Cup will be held in South America for the first time.
World Rugby is set to conduct inspection visits and assess the candidates’ capabilities from December. The organization plans to identify a preferred candidate in late spring or summer 2027, with an official announcement expected during the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Spain has qualified for the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup, which will be its first appearance at the tournament since 1999. The country’s federation also aims to triple the number of people playing rugby by 2035 and become one of the leading rugby nations.
