Maria Tato, the chair of the organizing committee for Spain's hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, resigned on Wednesday following accusations of altering the criteria for selecting host cities to favor San Sebastián. Her resignation was submitted to the Spanish Football Federation in the wake of a report by a national newspaper, which revealed that the required ranking for venue selection was changed to benefit the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián at the expense of Balaídos in Vigo.

Vigo’s mayor, Abel Caballero, criticized the process on social media, highlighting discrepancies in the city selection timeline.

He stated that on June 25, 2024, Balaídos was listed among the 11 proposed sites in Spain, but by June 27, the list had been altered.

Caballero called for accountability and clarity regarding who made the changes, the rationale behind them, and the criteria used in the selection process.

As of now, the Spanish Football Federation has not issued a comment regarding the allegations presented by the media.

Last year, the Federation announced that Spain would allocate 11 stadiums for the tournament, including the Camp Nou, currently under renovation, and the Santiago Bernabéu. Portugal is set to utilize three stadiums, while Morocco will contribute six venues to the 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.