Lausanne – European body UEFA and its African and South American counterparts have reached an agreement for a sole bid to host the 2030 World Cup, with most games played in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, and three games in South America, in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, world soccer body FIFA said on Wednesday (4). Pictured, Moroccan fans.
To celebrate the centenary of its first edition in Uruguay, the World Cup will be stage across three continents and six countries, which might mean group matches will have to be held in different seasons based on the hemisphere. However, Wednesday’s “unanimous” announcement means the way seems clear for this unprecedented intercontinental format, which promises complex political and logistical challenges and raises further questions about the environmental impact of major sporting events.
The announcement puts an end to competition between two major bids, one led by Spain and Portugal and the other from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay.
At one stage, Spain and Portugal had included Ukraine in their bid, saying they wanted to send “a message of solidarity and hope” and pay tribute to the “tenacity and resilience” of a country invaded by Russia in February 2022.
Morocco, a five-time unsuccessful candidate to host the tournament, joined them in mid-March.
The agreement between European body UEFA and its African (CAF) and South American (CONMEBOL) counterparts confirms the withdrawal of Ukraine and also that of the South American countries, in exchange for a symbolic concession.
According to FIFA, a “centenary ceremony” will be held “at the stadium where it all began”, in Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario in 1930, when the event brought together 13 teams in a single host city – compared with 32 for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and 48 from the 2026 World Cup in North America onwards.
The matches in South America – one each in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Asuncion – were part of the celebration to mark 100 years since the first World Cup in Uruguay.
FIFA also said it was inviting bids from the Asian and Oceanian continental confederations for the 2034 World Cup. That appears to open the door for Saudi Arabia, which confirmed it was a candidate.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
