- 2030 World Cup hosts declared
- Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will also host three games
- 2034 bid invited from AFC and OFC MAs
WHAT HAPPENED? In a FIFA Council meeting, it was decided that the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain would be the single candidacy to host the global event in 2030. The final decision will be taken after going through the official bidding process during the FIFA Congress in 2024.
The 2030 World Cup will be the centenary edition of the tournament and FIFA has decided that a celebration ceremony will be held in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, where the first-ever World Cup was hosted. A such, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will also host the opening three matches of the tournament, meaning the World Cup will be spread to three continents.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The bidding process for the 2030 and 2034 editions will be held simultaneously. FIFA member associations from AFC and the OFC will be invited to submit bids and the hosts will be selected in a separate FIFA Congress.
WHAT THEY SAID?: “In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting,” said FIFA President Gianni 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. 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 Estádio Centenário, 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," the FIFA President added.
"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,” the FIFA President concluded.
IN ONE PHOTO:
GettyWHAT NEXT? Morocco will be the second African country to host World Cup matches after South Africa organised the 2010 edition.