2030 World Cup will be hosted by six countries across three continents, Fifa announces

Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 2030 males’s Fifa World Cup – however solely after Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay have staged the opening three video games.

Fifa has handed the South American trio the fitting to host the primary three matches of the match to rejoice the centenary of the primary World Cup, held in 1930 by Uruguay, who beat Argentina within the remaining. Paraguay is residence of the South American federation Conmebol, which organised the match.

Uruguay’s Estadio Centenerio in Montevideo was the setting for the primary World Cup remaining and so will kick-off the match, earlier than the second sport is performed in Argentina and the third in Paraguay.

Those three groups and their opponents will then fly to hitch the remainder of the competitors, which will be performed in the principle host nations of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is predicted to stage the opening ceremony and the World Cup remaining.

All six host nations will qualify robotically, leaving 42 additional spots.

The information was introduced on social media by the Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez, who can be a vice-president of Fifa and a Fifa Council member. The Paraguayan had led South America’s four-way bid to stage the whole thing of the 2030 World Cup, which had additionally included Chile.

“We aimed high and dreamed big,” Dominguez tweeted. “The 2030 centenary World Cup starts where it all began. The host of the opening matches of the centenary World Cup will be Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.”

Morocco will lastly turn into the primary North African nation to host the World Cup, after failing with bids to stage earlier editions in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010 and 2026. The nation is because of host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Portugal will additionally host for the primary time, having failed in joint bids with Spain to carry the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which went to Russia and Qatar respectively. Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup, which was received by Italy on the Bernabeu.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino stated in an announcement: “In a divided world, Fifa and football are uniting. 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.

“As a result, a celebration will take place in South America and three South American countries – Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – will organise one match each of the Fifa World Cup 2030. The first of these three matches will of course be played at the stadium where it all began, in Montevideo’s mythical Estadio Centenerio, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the Fifa World Cup.

“The Fifa Council also agreed unanimously that the only bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 will be the joint bid of Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Two continents – Africa and Europe – united not only in a celebration of football but also in providing unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.

“In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents – Africa, Europe and South America – 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.”

Fifa guidelines dictate that the World Cup can’t be hosted in the identical continental federation once more for the subsequent two tournaments. With Mexico, USA and Canada staging the occasion in 2026, and Europe, Africa and South America all concerned in 2030, it means the 2034 match will be held in both Asia or Oceanania.