FIFA issued a statement on Tuesday setting out fresh measures on how stadiums will be chosen for the 2030 World Cup, and said a delegation will visit candidate host cities in Morocco, Portugal and Spain throughout November and December. The 2030 World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Visit plan
FIFA said a delegation will carry out a series of site visits across Morocco, Portugal and Spain throughout November and December, "as part of the ongoing planning process for the 2030 World Cup". Representatives from the main functional areas will make up the delegation, touring the cities and stadiums bidding to host the tournament in all three countries.
What FIFA will assess
FIFA said: "The stadium visits aim to support the assessment of each candidate host city and each candidate stadium in accordance with FIFA's requirements"
The visits mark a key stage in the selection process, allowing FIFA to assess how ready each candidate stadium is, along with its operational plans and the infrastructure lined up for the finals.
Cities on the list
According to the statement, the delegation will visit Agadir, Barcelona, Bilbao, Casablanca, Fez, Las Palmas, Lisbon, Madrid, Marrakech, Porto, Rabat, San Sebastian, Seville, Tangier and Zaragoza. FIFA said more cities could be visited during the host city selection process.
Next steps
Throughout the visits, the FIFA delegation will meet representatives of local, regional and national authorities, stadium operators, transport and mobility stakeholders, accommodation providers and other key delivery partners.
FIFA said: "This process will assist FIFA in reaching its final decision regarding the selection of stadiums to host the 2030 World Cup. The number of matches and the types of corresponding matches to be held in each stadium will only be determined after the host cities are confirmed and as part of the match scheduling process, as FIFA continues to work closely with all stakeholders in Morocco, Portugal and Spain to strengthen preparations for the tournament."
FIFA said: "Further information relating to the venue selection process for the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be announced in due course"