Morocco, Spain and Portugal will host the 2030 World Cup — but the opening three matches of the tournament will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
FIFA OFFICIAL Statement
FIFA World Cup in 2030 set to unite the world in unique global celebration
Morocco, Portugal and Spain joint bid is the sole candidate to host FIFA World Cup 2030™
Centenary celebration and celebratory games to take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay
Member associations from AFC and OFC invited to launch bids for FIFA World Cup 2034™
In 2030, the FIFA World Cup will unite three continents and six countries, inviting the entire world to join in the celebration of the beautiful game, the Centenary and the FIFA World Cup itself. 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, 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 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively.
The awarding of the 2026 finals to the United States, Canada and Mexico followed by this proposed award means that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for the 2034 finals.
That appears to give Saudi Arabia, who were initially rumoured to be interested in bidding for 2030, a very strong chance of hosting, although Australia may enter the running too, after they successfully co-hosted the Women’s World Cup alongside New Zealand earlier this year.