FIFA, the governing body of football, has announced that Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The decision was made by the FIFA Council, per a statement posted on the FIFA website on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
The FIFA Council unanimously decided that the only candidate would be the joint bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which would automatically qualify from the current slot allocation and host the event in 2030, pending the conclusion of a fruitful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024.
Additionally, taking into account the historical context of the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously decided to host a special centenary celebration ceremony in Montevideo, the nation’s capital, as well as three World Cup games in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, respectively.
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In a divided world, FIFA and football are coming together, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The FIFA Council, which represents the entire football community, unanimously decided to commemorate the FIFA World Cup’s 100th anniversary in the most appropriate manner.
The tournament’s inaugural edition was held in Uruguay in 1930.
As a result, a celebration will take place in South America, and one FIFA World Cup 2030 match will be organized in each of three South American nations: Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Naturally, the first of these three games will take place in Montevideo’s legendary Estádio Centenário, the site of the original FIFA World Cup, which turns 100 this year.
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Infantino continued, “The FIFA Council also unanimously decided that Morocco, Portugal, and Spain’s joint bid would be the only one eligible to host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
In addition to coming together to celebrate football, the two continents of Africa and Europe also provided exceptional social and cultural cohesion.
What a wonderful message of inclusion, tolerance, and peace.
“In 2030, we will have a distinctive global footprint, three continents—Africa, Europe, and South America—and six countries—Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay—welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the FIFA World Cup, the 100th anniversary of the game, and the beautiful game.
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Portugal and Morocco have never hosted the FIFA World Cup, but Spain did so in 1982.
