Global Footprint: FIFA 2030 Men’s World Cup To Be Played On Three Continents
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 07:27PM By Barry Janoff
October 4, 2023: The FIFA 2026 Men’s World Cup will, for the first time, be hosted by three countries: the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The FIFA 2030 Men’s World Cup will, for the first time, be played on three continents encompassing six countries.
FIFA today said it has reached an agreement among soccer's continental leaders to accept only one candidate for hosting the 2030 tournament: Europe, Africa and South America.
FIFA’s decision needs formal approval at a meeting of the 211 member federations in 2024, but soccer analysts said that would be a formality.
"In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents: Africa, Europe and South America,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said via the organization.
“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. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.”
The 48-team, 104-game tournament is scheduled for June-July 2030.
It is being planned to start with a 100th birthday celebration game in Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo, where the Centenario Stadium hosted the inaugural 1930 World Cup final.
Games will also be played in Argentina and Paraguay before moving to core host nations Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
All host countries will automatically qualify.
“In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting,” said Infantino. “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.
FIFA also said that member associations from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceana Football Confederation have been invited to bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. Saudi Arabia and Australia also have expressed interest in hosting the 2034 Men’s World Cup.
Back to Home Page