Spain bids for Rugby World Cup with Nou Camp final

Key points

• Spain has launched a bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035, with the Nou Camp in line to host the final.
• Argentina and Japan are also bidding, and World Rugby is expected to name its preferred bidder in spring or summer 2027.
• Spain's bid has government and La Liga support, and the federation aims to triple player numbers by 2035.

Spain is bidding to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035, with Barcelona's Nou Camp, Real Madrid's Bernabeu and Valencia's Mestalla among the possible stadiums. The Spanish Rugby Federation said it wants to deliver the "best World Cup in history" and connect the tournament to 700 million Spanish speakers worldwide.

If the bid succeeds, the revamped Nou Camp would host the final, which would be the first time the Rugby World Cup showpiece has been held in front of more than 100,000 fans. Argentina and Japan are also bidding, and World Rugby is expected to announce its preferred bidder in the spring or summer of 2027.

Support and stadium plans

The bid has the support of the Spanish government and La Liga, with some of world football's most iconic stadiums on a list of potential venues. The San Mames is among 14 stadiums submitted to World Rugby, a list that would be cut to 9 or 10 if Spain wins.

Spain has hosted two European finals weekends at Bilbao's San Mames, in 2018 and 2026, while the 2016 Top 14 final was held at the Nou Camp in front of 99,124 supporters. The country has also staged World Rugby Sevens events, with further editions confirmed in Castile and Leon for 2027 and 2028.

We have complete confidence in our organisational capability, our sports infrastructure is at the cutting edge of innovation

— Juan Carlos Martin 'Hansen', executive president of the Spanish Rugby Federation

What officials said

Spanish federation executive president Juan Carlos Martin 'Hansen' said the country has "complete confidence in our organisational capability" and called its sports infrastructure cutting edge. He added that hosting in 2035 would bring new dimensions of hospitality, collaboration, unity and friendship to the global rugby family.

Martin also said rugby is becoming part of Spain's identity and that working with World Rugby could make the 2035 tournament a turning point in the sport's global growth. Spain, a seven-time Women's Rugby World Cup participant, aims to triple player numbers by 2035 and become a Tier One rugby nation.