Spanish soccer federation pitches Valladolid and Madrid to host Nations League semifinals and final

The RFEF has already made its move. Spain's soccer federation filed its bid with UEFA to host the semifinals and final of next year's Nations League, and it did so with a fairly specific plan: Valladolid and Madrid as the venues, with Jose Zorrilla hosting one semifinal and the Santiago Bernabeu closing out the tournament with the title match.

The dates are already circled: the semifinals and final would be played from June 9 to 13 of next year, once the two-legged quarterfinals wrap up between March 25 and 30. That round will feature the eight best teams in League A, a group where Spain shares space with the likes of England, France and Germany, split across four groups of four.

So why Valladolid? The reasoning has more to do with logistics than anything else. RFEF president Rafael Louzán explained that Jose Zorrilla, which holds around 27,600 spectators, fits into the plan specifically because of its proximity to the capital: the two stadiums are barely 190 kilometers apart, which makes running a tournament that's played over just a few days, with national teams constantly arriving and departing, much easier.

Louzán didn't hide his intentions when speaking to reporters after Spain's match against England at Wembley, where La Roja came away with a 2-3 win. That's where he offered the line that sums up the federation's goal:

"Spain shouldn't give up on playing the final of this competition, and on it being held in Spain, in a great stadium"Rafael Louzán

Louzán himself acknowledged that work with both clubs involved is already underway. Real Madrid and Valladolid are both collaborating to make sure the bid lands with UEFA and ultimately wins over the European governing body.

A two-front push for the RFEF

This push to bring the Nations League's biggest matches to Spain isn't an isolated effort. It goes hand in hand with another battle the federation is waging: getting the 2030 World Cup final played on Spanish soil rather than in Morocco, the country co-hosting the tournament alongside Portugal.

That said, the path there is different. The decision on the venue for that final doesn't rest with UEFA but with FIFA, which is expected to make its choice official in the coming months. Two fronts, two different governing bodies, but the same underlying idea: getting international soccer's biggest spotlight to shine at home.