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The 2030 World Cup will span six countries on three different continents, making it the historic first of its kind. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will co-host the tournament, with the opening three matches taking place in three South American nations: Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, marking the tournament’s centenary.
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The hosting arrangement, a proposal from UEFA, the Confederation of African Football, and South American confederation CONMEBOL, was approved by the FIFA council during a meeting. However, it’s important to note that this novel arrangement is still subject to formal approval by FIFA’s congress.
Spain: Spain last hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1982, with Italy emerging as the champion. The country also held the UEFA European Championship in 1964, winning it on home soil.
Portugal: While Portugal has never hosted a World Cup, Euro 2004 took place in the country. Portugal reached the final but was defeated by underdogs Greece.
Morocco: Morocco has never hosted a World Cup, but the country did host the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing in fourth place. It’s set to host the Africa Cup of Nations once again in 2025.
Uruguay: Uruguay holds the distinction of hosting the first-ever World Cup in 1930. They emerged as champions by defeating Argentina 4-2 in the final.
Argentina: Argentina has won the World Cup on home soil in 1978. However, this will be the first time that a World Cup match is hosted in neighboring Paraguay.
All the co-hosting nations, including Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, will automatically qualify for the 2030 World Cup.
Morocco has unveiled ambitious stadium plans with hopes of hosting the final. However, Spain, with plans to host the final at either Barcelona’s Nou Camp or Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, is in opposition.
The conflict primarily involves Morocco and Spain since FIFA regulations dictate that the final must be held in a stadium with a minimum capacity of 80,000 spectators, and the largest stadium in Portugal accommodates only 65,000.
To meet the standards set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA’s requirements for the 2030 World Cup, Morocco’s government, in collaboration with Grooup CDG, has allocated approximately MAD 20 billion (£1.6 billion/$2 billion/€1.9 billion) for the renovation of stadiums in Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, Marrakech, and Fez. Additionally, they plan to construct a new stadium with a capacity of 90,000 in Benslimane.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the head of Morocco’s Football Federation, has expressed his desire for the final to take place in Casablanca. He stated that they hope to see their efforts culminate in a historic final celebrated at the Casablanca stadium, “god willing.”
As for the stadiums that will be used, the specific venues are yet to be determined, pending formal approval. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the opening game will be played at Estadio Centenario in Uruguay, the stadium purpose-built for the inaugural 1930 tournament and which also hosted the final. Furthermore, all co-hosts will have the privilege of playing their opening fixtures on their home soil.
Looking ahead, the 2026 World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marking the first World Cup to be hosted by three nations. While the location of the 2034 World Cup remains undecided, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expressed its intention to bid for the tournament.