Santarém, Portugal, June 12, 2026 (Lusa)- The municipality of Santarém is set to receive a private investment of €450 million linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with plans to create 800 direct jobs and attract around 1.5 million visitors a year.
Unveiled publicly at the Convent of São Francisco, the “Viva Mundo” project is scheduled to open on 29 April 2030 and is presented as an “anchor infrastructure with economic and tourism impact at the regional and national level”, helping to “strengthen Santarém’s profile as an international investment destination”.
According to the City Council, the choice of Santarém reflects “a sign of confidence” in a region that has been gaining visibility, particularly due to its geographical location, road and rail links, and proximity to future key infrastructure.
According to the presentation, the “Viva Mundo” project will occupy approximately 800,000 square metres (80 hectares).
The concept is to create a football-themed park structured into several functional zones. At the centre of the site will be “Football World”, described as the project’s main hub, with four themed sub-zones: “Centre Circle”, “Passion”, “Glory” and “Fantasy”, organised around a central lake.
The project also includes an entertainment zone, featuring an arena with a capacity for around 4,000 people, designed to host concerts, shows and live events, and a “Fan Zone”, conceived as an interactive space offering immersive experiences.
Speaking after the public presentation of the project, the Mayor of Santarém said that the “Viva Mundo” project would “revolutionise” the municipality and contribute to the region’s development, highlighting the economic impact and job creation.
The mayor described the initiative as “a football-themed park” with the potential to generate value “on a national and regional scale”, citing similar facilities in cities such as Paris and Orlando as examples.
According to the mayor, the municipality has been working with investors since the start of the year, arguing that the choice of Santarém resulted from its “strategic location, road and rail links, and proximity to future infrastructure”, including the new airport.
“The main road network and the main railway line serve us, and we have major projects to connect to the future international airport,” he said, adding that the climate was also a key factor in the project’s location.
The mayor reiterated that the facility is expected to become operational in 2030, coinciding with the start of the World Cup, a competition that Portugal will co-host with Spain and Morocco, emphasising that it is an infrastructure that will operate all year round.
The mayor also highlighted the project’s regional impact, advocating an inter-municipal approach to planning, as the effects will extend to “the whole of the Oeste and Vale do Tejo regions”.
In this context, he identified the development of a new intermodal hub in Santarém as a priority to “strengthen rail and road links” and to integrate “innovative mobility solutions”, including a vertiport.
Regarding accessibility, the mayor acknowledged the opportunity to boost public investment in the region, advocating for completing road projects such as the A13 and improving the railway, while recognising that the municipality already benefits from a significant motorway network.
The manager of the “Viva Mundo” project, Carlos Carreiras, stated that the development is adhering to a “very demanding” schedule, indicating that the project team expects to award the first contracts for the procurement of services and equipment as early as September.
According to him, the tendering phase is expected to take place by the end of the year, in parallel with the licensing process, with the first on-site works scheduled to begin early next year.
According to Carlos Carreiras, the investment stems primarily from the initiative of two main developers, the JFA group and a British investor, who have brought in other international partners.
JYRE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
