2030 FIFA World Cup
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is the 24th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a competition organized by FIFA that brings together the best national teams.
It will be held in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, whose joint bid was the only one in contention, according to a FIFA statement released in October 2023, although the official decision will not be finalized until late 2024, following a vote by the congress. The congress confirmed the decision on December 11, 2024, and announced that this edition will officially take place from June 13 to July 21, 2030, but that the three South American matches will be scheduled for June 8 and 9.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first edition (1930 in Uruguay), FIFA decided that three matches will be held in South American cities:
• Asunción (Paraguay);
• Buenos Aires (Argentina);
• Montevideo (Uruguay).
These three matches were confirmed on October 4, 2023, by FIFA.
The competition will therefore take place on three continents (Africa, South America, and Europe). It will be the first World Cup held in Africa since 2010, in South America since 2014, and in Europe since 2018.
The six host countries are automatically qualified for the competition. 20 stadiums have been selected to host the 2030 World Cup: • Spain: 11 stadiums in 9 different cities • Portugal: 3 stadiums in 2 different cities • Morocco: 6 stadiums in 6 different cities
The 2030 FIFA World Cup has already sparked negative reactions from fans, football officials, and environmental groups, highlighting that the vast distance between South America and Europe would require significant air travel, increasing the carbon footprint and undermining FIFA's carbon neutrality plans. They also noted the challenges faced by fans of teams drawn against Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as well as the limited rest time once these teams return to the main hosts.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter warned that the number of hosts for the 2030 FIFA World Cup would cause the tournament to "lose its identity." Others noted that with FIFA's rotation system, CONCACAF (which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup), CONMEBOL, UEFA, and CAF would not be able to bid, leaving 2034 open to AFC and OFC, leading to accusations that FIFA selected the hosts to ensure that Saudi Arabia, an AFC member with significant human rights controversies, would face no opposition in its bid.
For more information:
1. "The FIFA Council Makes Key Decisions on the 2030 and 2034 Editions of the FIFA World Cup™", FIFA, 2023
2. Le Monde with AFP, "The 2030 FIFA World Cup Will Be Held in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal [Archive]", Le Monde, 2023
3. Étienne Moatti, "The 2030 FIFA World Cup Awarded to Spain-Portugal-Morocco Trio, 2034 to Saudi Arabia", L'Équipe, 2024
4. "Football: FIFA Approves Plan for 2030 World Cup Across Three Continents in Europe, Africa, and South America", France Télévisions, 2023
5. "FIFA World Cup 2030™ and FIFA World Cup 2034™, Overview of the Bidding Processes", FIFA, 2023