FIFA has officially announced that the 2030 World Cup will be hosted by six countries across three continents. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will jointly host the tournament, with the initial three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
This upcoming 48-team World Cup will be the first of its kind to be played on multiple continents, and all host nations will automatically qualify for the tournament.
In commemoration of the centenary of global football, FIFA intends to hold the opening match at Uruguay’s Estádio Centenário, where the first World Cup took place in 1930, and was won by the host country, Uruguay, in a 4-2 victory against Argentina.
FIFA’s statement noted: “The FIFA Council unanimously agreed that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot allocation subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024.
Additionally, recognizing the historical significance of the first-ever FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where the inaugural FIFA World Cup was held in 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, respectively.”