The FIFA World Cup 2030 will be played across three different continents for the first time in the competition’s history. The tournament will be primarily hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will play their first matches at home to commemorate 100 years since the first edition of the tournament was played.
FIFA will allow all six host countries to automatically play for the first time in their history. On the other hand, Morocco will become the first North African country to host the World Cup after the 2010 edition was played in South Africa.
FIFA World Cup 2030 to be played in Morocco, Spain and Portugal
The size of the tournament will expand from the upcoming edition in 2026, which will be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The number of participating teams increases from 32 to 48, allowing a number of others who previously missed out to now partake in the biggest international tournament in football.
The six host countries will be automatically considered, allowing 42 teams to enter through the qualification process for the FIFA World Cup.
Fans, however, have lamented the immense amount of travelling they must go through to attend games. And the decision to potentially host the 2034 edition in Saudi Arabia doesn’t do any favours to their dissatisfaction.
Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has been rightfully criticised when the subject of hosting the tournament there has come up, much like it was in the case of Qatar. But, owing to their massive financial power, they are likely to sway FIFA in their favour to acquire hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.