Spanish media are reporting that Team New Zealand have chosen Barcelona as their next America’s Cup hosts.

Spanish edition Cronica Global reports that a ‘verbal pact’ has been reached between the administration of Team New Zealand and Barcelona and ‘just awaits its formalisation’.

According to the report, the Catalan government and Barcelona City Council are paying 70 million euros to host the 37th edition of the America’s Cup, which is due to take place in 2024.

NZME contacted Team New Zealand who denied the report.

The official decision on the host is expected to be announced on Thursday by Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Barcelona, ​​along with fellow Spanish city Malaga, Cork in Ireland and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia are on the shortlist.

New Zealand team boss Grant Dalton was last week in Barcelona – Spain’s second-largest city and capital of the Catalonia region – to view the facilities ahead of the defenders’ decision.

Last week, Spanish media reported that the Catalan government had backed the bid as a way to boost a tourism industry hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government has…announced that it authorizes the Ministry of Enterprise and Employment to take the necessary actions to promote the Catalan capital’s bid to win this event”, La Vanguardia reported.

“The government is very interested in this issue because it considers above all that it implies an international projection for both the city and Catalonia and a boost to the revival of the tourist sector.”

The Catalan government was joined in backing the bid by Barcelona City Council, with Mayor Ada Colau saying: “The city has the infrastructure, the climate and the experience to be the best place.”

The New Zealand team had to seek an offshore host for the regatta when they failed to secure the funding to organize the defense in Auckland, where they retained the Auld Mug last year.

Barcelona’s entry into the hosting race came after Valencia, a port city in eastern Spain, was excluded from hosting considerations earlier this month.

Last week, Malaga finalized their $121m bid to host the event. Local media reported that the bid, backed by Andalusia’s city council and regional government, included improvements to the port of Malaga ahead of the 2024 regatta.