FIFA World Cup 2030™: Morocco, Portugal and Spain joint bid is sole candidate to host

• Tournament in 2030 marks centenary of the FIFA World Cup™

• Morocco, Portugal and Spain are sole candidates to host with joint bid

• Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one game

Morocco, Portugal and Spain’s joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030™ has been confirmed as the sole candidate for the tournament by the FIFA Council.

The FIFA Council also unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ took place in 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

The decisions mean that in 2030 the FIFA World Cup will unite three continents and six countries, inviting the entire world to join in the celebration of the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup itself.

Morocco, Portugal and Spain, as tournament hosts, and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, as hosts of the centenary celebration, will qualify automatically from the slot allocation quota of their respective confederations, subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024.

“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 Estadio Centenario, 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.

“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.”

Hosts Uruguay lifted the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930, triumphing 4-2 over Argentina in a thrilling final. FIFA President Jules Rimet presented the winning team with the World Cup trophy, which was later renamed in his honour.

A total of 13 nations – Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, USA, Uruguay and Yugoslavia – competed in the inaugural edition, whereas there will be 48 teams vying for glory in 2030, with the tournament expanding to include more nations from 2026 onwards.

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