Football stadiums that meet UEFA standards will be established in Vanadzor and Ijevan.
01-10-2026 17:52 Armenia Press release
The government has decided to establish UEFA-compliant football stadiums in Vanadzor and Ijevan, designed for more than 10,000 spectators. As noted by Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, the project has been developed with the active involvement of various departments and as a result of joint efforts.
Accordingly, it is planned to consider urgent the requirement for the construction/reconstruction of a UEFA-compliant football stadium in Vanadzor and the construction of a UEFA-compliant football stadium in the administrative territory of the Getahovit community in Ijevan. The procurement process is planned to be organized through the "Urgent single-source" procurement procedure. A number of specific features are also defined for the organization of procurement processes, as well as for the urban planning expertise of architectural and construction projects.
"The FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be jointly held in Armenia and Georgia in 2029, will feature 24 teams and will include 52 matches, half of which will take place in Armenia. According to the preliminary plan, the matches held in Armenia are expected to be organized in Yerevan, Ijevan, and Vanadzor. For the proper organization of the championship, it is necessary to have UEFA category four stadiums designed for at least 10,000 spectators," the minister noted, adding that the government has already adopted relevant decisions regarding the design of the stadiums.
Zhanna Andreasyan mentioned that the urgency of the procurement requirement is also due to the established deadlines: the championship will be held in September-October 2029, and according to international requirements, the stadiums must be ready at least six months in advance. It was noted that the examination of design documents, final approval, and the subsequent actual construction and reconstruction works are time-consuming, thus creating the necessity to consider the procurement requirement urgent and to apply the single-source procurement procedure.
The minister informed that negotiations have been conducted with "Venuera Holding" LLC, which is responsible for the design of the stadiums and has international experience in designing similar stadiums; the construction works will be carried out within 24 months, and the stadiums will be ready by the end of 2028. "In Vanadzor, it is about the reconstruction of the existing stadium, while in Ijevan, it is about the construction of a new stadium," said the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, adding that UEFA is providing professional advice to Armenia in this process.
Commenting on the decision, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the fact that institutional foundations for the development of football are finally being established in Armenia, and football is becoming a sector of the economy in Armenia. In this context, the Prime Minister recalled that in the last month, he visited the academy of the "Noah" football club, and yesterday the Armenian academy of the Italian "Juventus" club was opened. "What we have been discussing in this hall and in various halls, sometimes even in a vacuum, is now materializing because football is starting to become a sector of the economy in Armenia, as people are making concrete investments in this logic."
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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