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The Cabildo de Gran Canaria has given the green light for a major expansion of Estadio Gran Canaria, the home of LaLiga football club Las Palmas, which is bidding to be a host venue during the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The work is set to take place between 2025 and 2027. The approval from the local council comes after a request from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to the government of the island to guarantee the investment before the end of June.
The total cost of the project will be more than €101m (£85.5m/$108.4m). Of this figure, around €25.3m will be allocated in 2025, €50.6m in 2026, and a further €25.3m in 2027.
Estadio Gran Canaria has a current capacity of 32,000 and the project is set to increase this to almost 45,000. FIFA rules stipulate that World Cup stadiums must have a capacity of at least 40,000.
The project, which was first proposed in October, will include a roof and new stands in the Naciente and Sur sections, as well as a new exterior façade that can adapt to new technologies.
Antonio Morales, president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, said: “In 2027 Gran Canaria will have a leading, avant-garde stadium, which will be put at the service not only of the sports community, but also of the entire Gran Canaria society because it will also be a huge attraction for other types of activities.”
Aridany Romero, sports councillor for the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, added: “The entire corporation has voted in favour and that is a very important factor to give solidity and maturity to the candidacy of the Estadio Gran Canaria as the venue for the final phase of the 2030 World Cup. All that remained was to secure the financial resources and today they have been guaranteed.”
The upgrades are set to be carried out irrespective of whether the stadium is selected as a host venue for the 2030 World Cup, which Spain will co-host alongside Portugal and Morocco. Games will also take place in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
In July last year, the RFEF announced a shortlist of 15 venues that are seeking to host matches during the World Cup. Estadio Gran Canaria was included alongside Balaídos (Vigo), Riazor (La Coruña), El Molinón Enrique Castro Quini (Gijón), San Mamés (Bilbao), Anoeta (San Sebastián), La Romareda (Zaragoza), Camp Nou (Barcelona), RCDE Stadium (Cornellá-El Prat), Santiago Bernabéu and Cívitas Metropolitano (both Madrid), Nuevo Mestalla (Valencia), Nueva Condomina (Murcia), La Cartuja (Sevilla-Santiponce), and La Rosaleda (Malaga).
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