Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), has highlighted two major ambitions for Spanish sport: for Madrid to once again bid to host the Olympic Games and for Spain to secure the final of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Portugal and Morocco. During a radio interview, the official defended the country’s ability to host major sporting events and stressed the importance of developing a strategy to address both challenges successfully.
On his 76th birthday, Blanco insisted that Madrid deserves another opportunity to host the Olympics, although he acknowledged that a new bid must be prepared carefully and with institutional coordination. At the same time, he argued that Spain must firmly push to host the 2030 World Cup final, while recognising that negotiations over venues and the allocation of matches must first make progress.
Madrid and the challenge of hosting the Olympic Games
“The Olympic movement owes Madrid an Olympic Games,” Blanco said, recalling the Spanish capital’s three previous attempts to become an Olympic host city. Among them, he particularly highlighted the bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, which received a very positive assessment from the evaluation commission of the International Olympic Committee, although Madrid ultimately lost the final vote. In the COE president’s view, that experience demonstrates that Madrid has the sporting, organisational and social conditions needed to bid again, but he believes it is essential to choose the right moment before launching another candidacy.
Looking ahead to the 2036 Games and subsequent editions, Spain will have to compete against other bids that Blanco considers highly competitive, including Doha, Istanbul, Budapest, India and Germany. The official therefore stressed that any initiative must have the coordinated support of Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid and the central government. He also highlighted the importance of holding discussions with the International Olympic Committee’s leadership to determine when a new bid would have the best prospects. As a positive precedent, he recalled the public support for Madrid’s 2020 bid, citing an average approval rating of 95% in the surveys referenced by the official.
Spain seeks a leading role in the 2030 FIFA World Cup
Hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup is the other major objective Blanco addressed. Spain will co-host the tournament with Portugal and Morocco, with matches also scheduled to take place in other countries. In this context, the COE president argued that Spain should aim to host the decisive match, highlighting the strength of its national teams, the quality of its clubs and the country’s experience in organising major competitions. “Spain must defend, with the utmost determination, that the final should be held in Spain,” he said during the interview, making his position clear on one of the main outstanding issues in the tournament’s planning.
However, Blanco noted that negotiations must progress in stages. Before focusing discussions on the venue for the final, he believes it is necessary to determine how many Spanish cities will participate and how the matches will be distributed. This planning will be essential to defining Spain’s role in the joint hosting arrangement and establishing the conditions needed to support its ambition. In Blanco’s view, the country has sporting and organisational arguments to make its case for the final, although the outcome will depend on negotiations between the parties involved and the agreements reached throughout the tournament’s preparation.
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