Real Madrid opens the file on the failed project: Spain's government pressures FIFA over the World Cup final

In a single week, the Santiago Bernabéu, the fortress of Spanish giants Real Madrid, found itself at the heart of two parallel battles, each no less heated than the other.

On one hand, there is a legal and financial battle being waged by Real Madrid against Madrid City Council, in which it demands compensation of 20 million euros due to the failure of the underground car park project.

The other front is a sporting and political one of no less importance. A FIFA delegation has arrived to assess the stadium's readiness to host matches at the 2030 World Cup, chief among them the final.

The newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported, citing the media platform "Vox Pópuli", that Real Madrid has officially launched claim proceedings against Madrid City Council, demanding 20 million euros over the cancellation of the project to build the underground car park near the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

Los Blancos will put this proposal on the agenda of their annual members' meeting, laying out the details of the legal step and its reasons for the members. The club believes the city bears full responsibility for halting the project.

The car park plan dates back many years, just like the renovation of the stadium itself. It was initially approved, and the club began taking practical steps to carry it out before the High Court of Justice of Madrid halted it in mid-2025, following an appeal lodged by the association of residents affected by the Bernabéu construction works.

Real Madrid argue that the project was registered at the time with a clear condition, namely that in the event of it not being carried out, "Madrid City Council would be obliged to compensate the club for the damages it has incurred". On that basis, the company created specifically for this project, "Aparcamientos del Santiago Bernabéu", led by the club's general director José Ángel Sánchez, is demanding the sum as an estimate of the expenses incurred by the club in the planning, studies and preparatory works stages.

This marks a fresh escalation in the relationship between the club and the local authorities, after years of tension linked to the renovation works, the noise, the congestion, and the impact of major events on the residents of the neighbourhood.

At the same time, the Real Madrid stadium welcomed a FIFA delegation as part of an inspection tour in preparation for the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Journalist Antón Meana reported on "Cadena SER" radio that meetings were held with the main stakeholders, continuing throughout the afternoon and attended by representatives of the Spanish government, Madrid City Council and Real Madrid.

FIFA explained that these visits represent "an important stage in the process of selecting the host city, and will enable FIFA to assess the plans for the preparation and operation of the tournament, as well as the proposed infrastructure for each candidate stadium".

In the afternoon, the delegation met with Rafael Louzán, president of the Spanish Football Federation, who chose not to travel to Prague for the Spain against the Czech Republic match in the UEFA Nations League so that he could attend the meeting with FIFA.

Spanish radio confirmed that FIFA's questions were clear, and that every answer came immediately. Even so, representatives of the Spanish government insisted that the refurbishments the Bernabéu may require are entirely different if it is to host a group stage match, compared to hosting the final.

The delegation expressed great admiration for the stadium. The crux of the matter lies elsewhere: whether it is possible to meet all of FIFA's many requirements, and whether those running the project are prepared to avoid substantial changes to their proposed plan.