Six Countries To Host 2030 FIFA World Cup
Not one, not two, not even three … but SIX different countries will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. 100 years after the first edition of the FIFA World Cup that was held in Uruguay, the famous tournament will be played in six different countries spread across three different continents.
The majority of the tournament will be held in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. However, the nations of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each host one match during the tournament. The opening match of the tournament will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay, the same city where the first World Cup final was held 100 years prior.
“The centennial World Cup could not be far from South America, where everything began,” said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of CONMEBOL, which is South America’s governing soccer body.
FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, seconded Dominguez’s thoughts about the importance of having games during the 2030 World Cup being held in South America.
“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,” Infantino said. “As a result, a celebration will take place in South America and three South American countries – Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – will organize 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 Estádio Centenário, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup.”
While these three South American nations will each get one game, the tournament is really being held in Portugal, Spain and Morrocco. After the first few games that will be played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the rest of the action will move across the Atlantic to be played in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.
“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,” said Infantino. “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.
Although Ukraine was at one point being considered as part of the Portugal-Spain-Morrocco bid, there was no mention of Ukraine in FIFA’s announcement.
This move by FIFA has also fast-tracked the bidding for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Due to FIFA rules on continental federations having to take two World Cup cycles off from hosting, only Asia’s AFC and Oceania’s OFC will be able to bid for the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia is thought to be the front-runner to host the 2034 World Cup. Australia and New Zealand are also planning a bid for the right to host.
Four years after the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, FIFA has decided to hold the 2030 edition in six different countries spread across the world.
Gone are the days of one nation hosting soccer’s most prestigious tournament. Welcome to the age of truly global World Cups.
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