Know some facts about the 2030 World Cup

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to an end, football fans have turned their attention to the next edition. The 2030 World Cup will be the 24th edition in history and a special tournament to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup. That is why this year's event will also feature several exceptional initiatives.

According to FIFA's plan, the main hosts of the 2030 World Cup are three countries—Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. However, to mark the centenary, three South American countries will also be part of the event. Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host one match each. As a result, for the first time, a World Cup will be held in three continents and six countries.

Uruguay is being given the opportunity to host the opening match for special historical reasons. The country hosted the first World Cup in 1930. On the other hand, Uruguay and Argentina faced each other in the final of that first World Cup. In addition, since the headquarters of the South American football organization CONMEBOL is in Paraguay, the country is also getting the opportunity to host a match as part of the centenary event.

According to FIFA's proposed schedule, the opening matches will be held on June 8 and 9, 2030, in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the centenary. Then, on June 13 and 14, Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host the official opening ceremony and the main round of matches will begin. If everything goes according to plan, the World Cup final will be held on July 21. However, FIFA has not yet released the full schedule.

By virtue of being the host, six countries have already secured their place in the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will play directly in the main round. The remaining 42 teams will secure their tickets to the World Cup by passing various continental qualifiers.

Meanwhile, FIFA has already decided the host of the next edition of the 2030 World Cup. The 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. The country was officially announced as the host in December 2024. Saudi Arabia was the only candidate in the bid process.

However, another important discussion is underway regarding the 2030 World Cup. While the tournament is currently planned to feature 48 teams, FIFA is also considering expanding it to 64. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the proposal was still under review. If approved, the Centenary World Cup could be the largest and most comprehensive tournament in history in terms of the number of participating teams.