FIFA has officially reached an agreement to host the 2030 World jointly by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
Three South American nations—Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—will also host matches, according to FIFA. These South American countries, who had initially put out a competing plan, made a determined effort to co-host, which led to this action.
Following the official bidding procedure, the choice will be made following the FIFA Congress in 2024.
According to FIFA, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain’s combined candidacy was the only one eligible to host the event.
These three nations will each host one game to open the competition, allowing FIFA to hold the first match in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, where the first World Cup final was played in 1930 at the Centenario Stadium.
In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup, which the country ultimately won after Uruguay defeated Argentina in the championship match.
FIFA has determined that a celebratory ceremony would be staged in Montevideo, the city of Uruguay, where the first World Cup was held, as the 2030 World Cup will be the hundredth edition of the competition. The World Cup will thus be spread across three continents thanks to the hosting of the first three games by Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
The decision was made by the FIFA Council and was announced on FIFA’s website on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
“Following extensive consultation with all confederations and given the importance of marking the centenary of the FIFA World Cup the FIFA Council took key decisions in relation to the bidding and hosting of the Centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 during its meeting held by videoconference from the Home of FIFA.”
“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,”
FIFA said in a statement.
“Additionally, having taken into account the historical context of the first-ever FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in the country’s capital, Montevideo, where the first ever FIFA World Cup took place in 2030, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively.“
In explaining the significance of this choice, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting.” He stressed the significance of celebrating the tournament’s centennial in South America and applauded the choice to have matches held in three South American nations—Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay—as part of the festivities.
Infantino continued, “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.”
Although Spain last hosted the World Cup in 1982, Portugal and Morocco have never done so. The Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Pedro Rocha voiced his organization’s desire for hosting the World Cup once more in Spain, a country that won the 2010 World Cup.
“I am sure that together with Morocco and Portugal, we will organize the best World Cup in history,” Rocha declared.
After earlier failed bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Portugal and Spain were successful in the World Cup bidding process. Portugal hosted the 2004 European Championship. The Portuguese Football Federation’s president, Fernando Gomes, stressed the innovation, organizational expertise, and footballing tradition that each of the three nations brings to the table.
Following South Africa in 2010, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, who applauded FIFA’s decision, is determined to host the World Cup in Morocco.
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI… has the great pleasure of announcing to the Moroccan people that the FIFA Council has unanimously selected the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidate to organise the 2030 football World Cup,” Morocco’s Royal Office said in a statement.
Days before the decision, Morocco was also selected to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations, and a month after the country experienced an earthquake that left over 3,000 people dead.
Unquestionably, Morocco is passionate about soccer as seen by the success of its best clubs in African club competitions and the adoring audiences they draw to metropolitan stadiums. In order to get ready for the upcoming World Cup, the nation has already increased the seating capacity of its stadiums in Rabat and Tangier.
The 2034 World Cup will be staged in Asia or Oceania, according to FIFA, and member associations from those regions are invited to submit bids to host the event.
Saudi Arabia declared its intention to submit a bid for the 2034 edition. In December, the nation will play host to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Mexico, Canada, and the United States will host the 2026 edition.