Modern stadium to be built in Vanadzor for the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Armenia is preparing to co-host the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup together with Georgia. One of the key venues of the tournament will be the newly reconstructed stadium in Vanadzor.

As announced during a government meeting, the existing stadium in Vanadzor, which seats 3,000 and has long been out of use, will be completely rebuilt. Its capacity will increase to 11,000, and its UEFA stadium category will rise from 2 to 4, making it suitable for hosting high-level international matches.

The stadium design has been entrusted to the international company VenueEra Holding, which has previously worked on stadiums in Budapest, St. Petersburg, and other cities. The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport held a closed urgent tender due to tight deadlines. The design phase will cost €593,000 and is expected to be completed within 8 months.

According to the rationale presented to the government, the Vanadzor stadium construction is part of Armenia and Georgia’s joint bid to host the 2029 U-20 World Cup. UEFA has already expressed support for Armenia’s part of the bid, but final approval will depend on meeting several technical requirements — the most important of which is having at least one UEFA Category 4 stadium.

The new stadium in Vanadzor will also become one of the flagship projects of the future “Academic City” — a large-scale infrastructure development in the Lori Province. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2026 and finish no later than mid-2028.

Thus, Vanadzor will not only gain a modern sports facility but also a chance to become one of the main cities of the world’s premier youth football tournament.