Spain, Morocco, Portugal to co-host 2030 World Cup

Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are set to co-host the 2030 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia could be set to host the 2034 edition of the tournament.

The 2030 World Cup is set to be held in six countries across three continents, with three South American nations – Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay – staging the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.

Montevideo in Uruguay, the city which hosted the first World Cup finals match in 1930, is poised to stage the opening match in seven years’ time with games in Argentina and Paraguay to follow.

The rest of the 48-team tournament will then move to Morocco in North Africa and Portugal in Europe.

This was declared under a proposal from UEFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and South American confederation CONMEBOL which was accepted by the FIFA council at a meeting on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

The hosting arrangement is now subject to formal approval by FIFA’s congress.

Uruguay’s selection for the 2030 World Cup is in recognition of their role as hosts and winners of the opening tournament, Argentina’s as runners-up in that tournament, and Paraguay’s as the traditional home of CONMEBOL.

Those countries will qualify automatically for the finals and play their opening games on home soil.

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said: “In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting.

“The FIFA Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way.

“As a result, a celebration will take place in South America and three South American countries – Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – will organise one match each of the FIFA World Cup 2030.

“The first of these three matches will of course be played at the stadium where it all began, in Montevideo’s mythical Estadio Centenario, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup.

“The FIFA Council also agreed unanimously that the only bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 will be the joint bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

“Two continents – Africa and Europe – united not only in a celebration of football but also in providing unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.”

The Star