Six neighbourhood associations in the Basque city of San Sebastián have asked Fifa to withdraw it as a venue for the 2030 men’s World Cup. The letter – which was criticised by the city’s mayor on Tuesday – comes three months after the city was named as one of 11 Spanish venues for the tournament taking place in Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
Signed by associations representing several areas around San Sebastián’s historic centre as well as a platform of residents pushing for “tourism degrowth,” the letter said: “Hosting the Fifa World Cup will only worsen living conditions in our city,” adding that it would “further exacerbate the touristification” of the city.
Between 2015 and 2024, the number of tourists visiting San Sebastián – from within Spain and beyond – climbed by 78%, according to those behind the letter. The effect on the city, long celebrated for its Michelin-star restaurants, scores of pintxo bars and crescent-shaped La Concha beach, has been “brutal,” they said. “Residents are being pushed out of the city, public spaces are being reshaped according to commercial interests, infrastructure is being designed to meet the needs of the tourism industry and the local language and culture are being fetishised for marketing purposes.”
Anger over the issue led hundreds of people to take to the streets in late October, echoing the widespread protests across Spain last year as tourism soared to record levels.
The arrival of the world’s largest football tournament would probably exacerbate the situation while benefiting only a “privileged few,” the letter to Fifa said. “The effects of this mega-event on most of the population are dramatic: the worsening of the housing crisis, the increase in tourist activity, the commodification of urban space, the development of unsustainable transport infrastructure and the implementation of security-driven measures that will constrain daily life.”
The associations said their call to Fifa was part of a wider push. “Tourism in our city has already had a major impact on daily life, causing serious harm,” the letter said. “We therefore believe it is urgent to follow the path of tourism degrowth and hosting events like the Fifa World Cup moves us in precisely the opposite direction.”
Fifa did not reply to a request for comment, but the city’s mayor was swift to distance himself from the letter. “I honestly don’t share that point of view,” said Eneko Goia, arguing that residents should be proud of San Sebastián’s longstanding success when it comes to organising sporting events. “If it was up to them, the city would have zero international profile.”
