Morocco, Spain, and Portugal have been chosen to host the 2030 World Cup, with the opening three matches set to take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. This decision was made by FIFA to commemorate the centenary of the first-ever World Cup. The tournament will be the first to be held across three continents and will feature all six host countries automatically qualifying.
The choice to award Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay the opening games is significant as Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural World Cup in 1930, with Argentina being the runners-up. Additionally, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) headquarters are located in Paraguay. CONMEBOL was the only confederation in existence during the 1930 tournament.
After the initial three matches, the teams from Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and their opponents will travel to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal for the remainder of the tournament. The Opening Ceremony will still take place in one of these three countries.
Morocco will be hosting the World Cup for the first time after five unsuccessful bids for previous editions. It will also be the first country in North Africa to host World Cup matches. Initially, Morocco had planned a solo bid but later joined forces with Spain and Portugal in March.
Portugal will also be hosting for the first time, having previously launched unsuccessful bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups alongside Spain. Spain has previously hosted the 1982 edition of the tournament and also co-hosted Euro 2004, where they were runners-up.
Ukraine had initially joined the Spain and Portugal bid with an offer to host some group-stage matches. However, their readiness to host a major tournament was questioned due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The 2030 World Cup will be played across six separate countries, making it the first time in history that a World Cup has been hosted by so many nations. The only other edition with more than two host nations was the 2026 tournament, which took place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
FIFA’s rotation policy dictates that the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will host the 2026 tournament, while the Confederation of African Football (CAF), CONMEBOL, and UEFA will host the 2030 edition. Following this pattern, FIFA will be looking to welcome bids from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for the 2034 tournament.
Alejandro Dominguez, the president of CONMEBOL, expressed his excitement about the upcoming tournament on Twitter, stating, “We aimed high and dreamed big. The 2030 Centenario World Cup starts where it all began.”
In conclusion, the 2030 World Cup will be a historic event held across three continents and featuring six host countries. It will mark the centenary of the first World Cup and pay homage to Uruguay’s role as the inaugural host. Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will have the opportunity to showcase their hosting capabilities and contribute to the rich history of the tournament. Football fans around the world eagerly anticipate this global celebration of the beautiful game.