Only a few days remain until the start of the 22nd FIFA World Cup, but despite all the excitement surrounding the current tournament, FIFA has already started planning for the 2030 edition. The World Cup of football is the largest sporting event ever, and it is always an enormous honor to host it.
The caravan will travel to the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 matchup after this year’s World Cup in Qatar. For the first time in World Cup history, there will be 48 teams instead of 32 competing in 2026. The 48-nation factor will be important when FIFA selects hosts for the 24th World Cup since one country might not be able to handle the logistical requirements.
The selection process for the showpiece’s host has already begun. FIFA had previously requested recommendations from federations earlier this year. The hosts will be revealed at the 74th Congress, which will take place in 2024. Here, the 211 association members vote to determine which country will host the 24th World Cup.
The countries that have thus far submitted bids to host the World Cup in 2030 are:
South American Nations
Together with the Uruguay Football Federation, the Argentina Football Federation submitted the first World Cup bid. Only Argentina and Uruguay would serve as hosts when the initial plan was first proposed. Later in 2019, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay formed an alliance.
The fact that four countries are teaming up to host an event makes this bid historic as well. Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile are thought to make a strong bid since they have all had the opportunity to enjoy the magic of hosting this major event.
Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine
Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine made the second official offer. Spain and Portugal were the first to submit a bid, but Ukraine has since joined them. In writing, the offer was submitted in October 2020. Spain and Portugal are competing for the right to host the event for the second time. Both nations had previously competed for the right to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.
Spain is anticipated to serve as the primary host nation, with Ukraine hosting one group. Portugal will take on the remaining burden. The event was previously held in 1982 in Spain. Portugal will be attempting to host this event for the first time.
During the UEFA News Conference this month, only the Spanish and Portuguese federations announced Ukraine’s inclusion. Given the recent situation in Ukraine, it will be fascinating to see how they transmit their message.
Morocco
Morocco is the third-place candidate for the 2030 World Cup. Morocco had already expressed interest in hosting the event. Five of their previous bids were turned down. The most recent was for the World Cup in 2026, in which the federation proposed spending $16 billion on facilities and infrastructure.
South Africa was the only African country to host the World Cup in 2010. However, Morocco appears to have a good chance this time. The Moroccan Federation has also proposed Algeria and Tunisia as potential co-hosts, who might collaborate with Egypt, which is also bidding to host the event, if necessary.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia
One of the potential deals that FIFA may examine is one from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Because Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, the Saudi proposal may not have been the winning one. In addition to the Saudi and Egyptian federations, Greece is said to be in talks with the Egyptian Football Association about submitting a bid.
About the Other Bids
FIFA has currently received three official bids to host the 2030 World Cup. Other countries, however, are expected to compete to host this significant event. Rumor has it that Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Serbia are bidding to host the 2030 World Cup. UEFA is more likely to endorse the joint bid of Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine than this one.
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