This week Faro Mayor José Apolinário and Loulé Mayor Seruca Emídio expressed their commitment in being associated to the event by offering to enlarge the stadium to minimum measurements as required by the World Cup organizing body FIFA.

As it stands at present the Algarve Stadium has a maximum capacity for 30,000 spectators, and to comply with FIFA’s rules would have to be exdended to at least 40,000 seats.

That is the minimum spectator capacity for a World Cup games.

Should the bid for a co-joined hosting materialize the Algarve stands a good chance of being included in the Iberian hosting of the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

Portugal presently has three stadiums that are immediately eligible to host World Cup level games; Luz (Benfica’s home stadium, in Lisbon), Alvalade (home-ground to Sporting Lisbon) and Dragão, belonging to F.C.Porto, in Northern Portugal.

The Algarvean stadium, which many now describe as a ‘white elephant’ due to its lack of usage and purpose, would be the fourth Portuguese stadium to be put forward in the bid.

On an Iberian scale, throughout Spain and Portugal, 13 stadiums will be included in the bid.