The 2030 Men’s Football World Cup is poised to adopt a distinctive format, spanning six nations across three continents as a tribute to the tournament’s centenary anniversary in Uruguay. FIFA brokered an agreement among the continental football authorities to endorse the bid spearheaded by co-hosts Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as the sole contender for hosting privileges.
This arrangement includes the staging of matches in South American nations such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Each of these countries will have the honor of hosting one match, with the tournament’s commencement set to occur in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the inaugural 1930 World Cup final took place.
Originally, the bid was initiated as a collaboration between Spain and Portugal but later expanded to incorporate Morocco. All six host nations will automatically secure spots in the 48-team tournament, marking the first instance of the World Cup spanning multiple continents.
Although the FIFA Council has given preliminary approval to the unified 2030 candidacy, the formal endorsement still awaits confirmation at a meeting involving the 211 member federations next year, which is expected to be a mere formality. The decision for the host of the 2034 World Cup will be made separately during a FIFA congress.
While this format necessitates extensive travel across various time zones, it has faced criticism from some quarters, including Football Supporters Europe, an officially recognized fan group by UEFA, which expressed dissatisfaction with FIFA’s decision.
Spain has previously hosted the 1982 World Cup, Argentina in 1978, and Uruguay hosted the inaugural 1930 tournament. Portugal, Morocco, and Paraguay are set to host their maiden World Cups. The selection of 2030 represents a significant achievement for Morocco, which has recently made substantial investments in infrastructure and was chosen to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
