Authorities in Armenia estimate that over 100,000 football fans will arrive in the country during the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029, which will be co-hosted with Georgia.

Around 30 matches will take place in Armenia, according to the country’s sports minister.

“It is expected that we will have more than 100,000 fans attending the matches on those days,” Zhanna Andreasyan, the Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Preliminarily, up to 20 matches will be held in Yerevan, while the rest will take place in Vanadzor and Ijevan.

Speaking about infrastructure upgrades, Andreasyan said that preparatory work is already underway.

According to her, the Vanadzor stadium is currently under reconstruction and is planned to be upgraded to UEFA Category 4 standards, with a minimum capacity of 12,000 spectators.

In addition, a new stadium is planned to be built in Ijevan, which will also meet UEFA Category 4 requirements.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who earlier hailed the FIFA decision to confirm Armenia and Georgia’s joint bid, once again described it as an important achievement.

“This is a major event in the life of our country, both in terms of football and in general,” Pashinyan said.

The prime minister also extended gratitude to Georgian partners and personally to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for effective cooperation, as well as the football federations of both countries for their work on the joint bid to host the tournament.

According to him, it is now necessary to move to the practical stage by establishing organizational structures.

“I think we should form a working group and an organizing committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan. We should also discuss with our Georgian partners and FIFA the need for a joint organizing committee,” Pashinyan said, emphasizing the importance of coordinated work.