A FIFA delegation arrived at the Spotify Camp Nou on Monday, part of its inspection tour of the cities and stadiums bidding to host the 2030 World Cup. The Catalan stadium is in the running to stage the final.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, the Spotify Camp Nou is one of three grounds bidding to host any World Cup match, the final included, as laid out in the hosting bid dossier.
Barcelona's stadium lines up alongside the Santiago Bernabéu and Morocco's Hassan II Stadium, which is still under construction, as the three grounds vying to host the final.
Representatives of the Spanish Football Federation and officials from the relevant institutions joined the FIFA delegation for the visit, along with a number of Barcelona club members led by club president Joan Laporta.
The tour took in the stadium's facilities. Evaluators weigh up plenty more than the ground itself: infrastructure, the capacity of hotels, hospitals, transport and communications, plus what are known as the secondary stadiums, which will serve as training centres for the participating national teams.
Still awaiting the completion of its development and refurbishment works, the Camp Nou is one of two options Spain has put forward for the final, with the organising countries locked in debate over which ground stages the showpiece.
That tussle pits Morocco, who want the Hassan II Stadium to host the World Cup final, against Spain and its two options, the Santiago Bernabéu and Barcelona's stadium.
FIFA alone will make the final call on the venue for the final. These visits count for plenty, though, weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of each stadium and its capacity to stage the match.
The first big decision will determine the number of host cities and pick out the stadiums that will host the tournament's matches. The inspection tour continues tomorrow, Tuesday, in Barcelona, where the FIFA delegation will visit the RCDE Stadium.