The entities have issued a joint statement confirming their intention to "continue forward in the selection process" for the 2030 World Cup under "a list of conditions set by FIFA". San Sebastián and Bilbao, currently completing the required documentation, have decided to present Anoeta and San Mamés stadiums as a "single Basque venue".
The institutions recall the general conditions worked on since 2022 and the document submitted to FIFA in 2024, which outlined aspects deemed unachievable by either city, both from an economic standpoint and in terms of impact on citizens.
Some very high economic costs; demands to demonstrate the capacity to host international events in the venues; the need to modify regulatory aspects; the requirement for new investments in stadiums and territories; the non-inclusion of co-official languages in the Basque Country; the prohibition of other events in the host cities during the competition dates; and certain exclusivities for the World Cup organizing company.
Subsequent FIFA visits did not resolve "aspects that were considered unassumable by either venue", prompting San Sebastián and Bilbao to conduct "a deep analysis of what accepting all the requests would entail". Consequently, the Basque Country will not bear the bureaucratic-administrative costs of two host cities, but only one.
Therefore, "in a process of sharing between both venues, they have decided that: in defense of the interests and well-being of the citizens they represent, they will present FIFA with a single budget outlining the aspects they would be willing to assume, considering that both would unite into a single venue, with two stadiums (San Mamés and Anoeta) for a group stage in 2030, with two matches played in each stadium".
The institutions warn that "not proceeding in this manner, whether this proposal is accepted or not, would be detrimental to Basque society in general". They have already conveyed to FIFA "the firm Basque institutional interest for San Mamés and Anoeta to be host venues for the FIFA World Cup 2030".
