Is the 2030 World Cup losing one of its venues?: A city refuses to be part of the tournament

Despite the fact that the 2026 World Cup is yet to be played, preparations for the next edition are already underway, along with its complications. In this case, the conflict arises from Spain, where the residents of San Sebastián refuse to have their city as one of the venues, and reject the use of the Anoeta stadium for the tournament matches. The main reason is the "dramatic effect" it causes on the population, as they expressed when submitting a request to be excluded from the list of venues.

The neighborhood groups of Donostia submitted their complaint to the world's top soccer organization, formally requesting that the World Cup, which will mostly be held jointly between Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, not include the Anoeta stadium, of Real Sociedad. The striking thing is that the choice of this venue was recent and already caused controversy, prevailing over other bids like Vigo and the Balaídos stadium. Everything indicates that there was no general approval in the city, and the citizens' disagreement could put a confirmed venue in doubt.

The residents presented their rejection as a collective effort and expressed that "it will further increase the touristification of Donostia". In their statement, they emphasize that the citizens will not gain any tangible benefit from the event and that only a few will be favored.

The text did not skimp on details when listing the consequences: "The effects of this macro-event on the vast majority of Donostiarras are dramatic: the worsening of the housing emergency, the growth of tourist activity, the commodification of urban space, the development of unsustainable transport infrastructures, and the securitarian measures that will condition the population's life", they stated, reinforcing the reasons why they demand to be excluded from the World Cup.

Additionally, they showed strong rejection of the management model that organizing such competitions entails, and were blunt: "It is nothing more than a business whose objective is to promote the tourism industry and real estate speculation".

The statement also mentions that the expenses that the massive arrival of tourists will entail will be very high for the city, which, added to the social impact, "can bring long-term consequences in the capital of the province of Gipuzkoa".

Finally, they close their statement by emphasizing: "It is more necessary than ever to underline the negative impact it will have on the citizens' lives, what is intended to be counted as a historic sporting event, which is why we ask for the decision to be revoked. Donostia and its residents can't bear the consequences of the World Cup!", considering the situation as a true "collapse", caused by mass tourism that would deteriorate the local quality of life.

The weight of these neighborhood associations is significant, and now FIFA will have to decide whether to listen to their arguments or continue with the initial planning. The conflict could have repercussions both during the World Cup's development and in the daily life of San Sebastián.