Football's governing body chose Morocco, Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 men's FIFA World Cup – and Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to hold three opening matches – making it the first to be held across three continents.
That will make for a 100th anniversary celebration in Uruguay, site of the first World Cup, FIFA announced on Wednesday. Teams from each of the six host nations will automatically qualify to compete. The FIFA Council's decision requires formal approval next year from 211 member federations.
“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."
Spain's bid to host the tournament did not suffer because of the conduct of former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales this year at the Women's World Cup, where he was accused of forcibly kissing football player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.
The incident is still subject to FIFA disciplinary proceedings. Portugal has never before hosted a World Cup. Morocco is poised to become just the second African nation, after South Africa, to host World Cup finals matches.
Infantino said the council also decided the first match "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 2030 World Cup scheduled for June to July will feature 48 teams and 104 games. Before then the 2026 men's World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the first to feature 48 teams.
