Spain proposes iconic football stadiums for 2035 Rugby World Cup bid

The Spanish Rugby Federation has entered a bid to stage the Rugby World Cup in 2035, proposing a lineup of world-famous football stadiums—including Barcelona’s Nou Camp, Real Madrid’s Bernabeu and Valencia’s Mestalla—as match venues. Executive president Juan Carlos Martin ‘Hansen’ says the plan will tap into the global community of roughly 700 million Spanish speakers and build on the momentum of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Spain will co-host with Morocco and Portugal.

Backed by the Spanish government and La Liga, the bid is presented as a catalyst to triple domestic rugby participation and lift Spain to Tier One status. Argentina, supported by Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, and Japan are the other contenders, with World Rugby slated to conduct site visits from December and announce a preferred bidder by the spring or summer of 2027. If successful, the revamped Nou Camp could host the final before more than 100,000 spectators, a first for the tournament. Spain also points to its experience hosting European rugby finals and World Rugby Sevens events as proof of capability.