The 2030 men’s football World Cup is set to take place in a unique format, spanning six countries across three continents, in a bid to commemorate the tournament’s 100th anniversary in Uruguay. FIFA reached an agreement among football’s continental leaders to accept the bid led by co-hosts Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as the sole candidate for hosting rights, including staging games in South American countries Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. These countries will each host one match to initiate the tournament, allowing FIFA to hold the opening game in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the inaugural 1930 World Cup final was held.
The bid originally began as a joint venture between Spain and Portugal before expanding to include Morocco. All six host nations will receive automatic entry into the 48-team tournament, marking the first time the World Cup will be played across multiple continents.
“The centennial World Cup could not be far from South America, where everything began,” said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American soccer body CONMEBOL. “The 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents.”
The FIFA Council’s acceptance of a unified 2030 candidacy still needs formal approval next year at a meeting of the 211 member federations. That should be just a formality, though. The 2034 pick will be made at a separate congress, FIFA said.
“In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents — Africa, Europe and South America — six countries — Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay — welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup,” said Infantino.
While this format involves extensive travel across time zones, it has not been well-received by some, including Football Supporters Europe, an officially recognized fan group by UEFA, which criticized FIFA’s decision. “FIFA continues its cycle of destruction against the greatest tournament on earth,” FSE said in a statement. “Horrendous for supporters, disregards the environment and rolls the red carpet out to a host for 2034 with an appalling human rights record.”
Host nations react
The 2030 decision represents a victory for Morocco, which recently invested heavily in infrastructure and was chosen to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
In a statement, Morocco’s Royal Cabinet said the selection “recognized Morocco’s choice place in the ranks of great nations.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had expressed concerns that Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain’s soccer federation, could disrupt the World Cup bid. Rubiales was suspended by FIFA and eventually resigned after a controversial incident during the Women’s World Cup final, where he kissed a player on the lips during the awards ceremony.
Spain had previously hosted the 1982 World Cup, Argentina in 1978, and Uruguay had the inaugural 1930 tournament. Portugal, Morocco, and Paraguay will host their first World Cups.
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