Morocco, Spain and Portugal to Host World Cup 2030
In a historic decision, FIFA reached agreement Wednesday on the Morocco-Spain and Portugal joint bid to host World Cup 2030. The tournament’s opening games will also be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the centenary of the first World Cup.
The move shows football’s unifying power across continents. But it also highlights the sport’s failure to take climate change seriously.
Morocco
FIFA has unanimously selected Morocco, Spain and Portugal as the sole candidates to host World Cup 2030, a move that will mark the first time the tournament will be staged in three continents. The three countries, along with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in South America, will also host a special celebratory match to mark the centenary of the World Cup’s founding in 1930.
The decision comes just weeks after Morocco stunned the footballing world by reaching the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It also cements the Moroccan’s place as a leading African footballing power, which has invested heavily in its stadiums and is building new ones to meet the growing demand for home matches.
Organizing the World Cup requires huge investments in stadiums, and hosting rights are expensive. But Morocco, which has six approved stadiums and plans for more, is expected to be able to make the necessary costs. It also benefits from being close to Europe, which allows for easy transportation between the venues.
A joint bid is becoming more common for major events. Canada, Mexico and the United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup, while Japan and South Korea collaborated in hosting 2002’s edition. It is also a sensible strategy for Morocco, which has failed to secure its previous bids for the tournament.
Morocco and its European neighbors have a complicated relationship, with Morocco being the country of origin for many migrants to Spain, a former colonial power. But the countries have a shared passion for football and a desire to boost the game across the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds. Their joint bid aims to promote a sense of togetherness and unity, a theme that is already evident in the choice of venues.
Spain
After years of bickering, Spain, Portugal and Morocco were awarded hosting rights to the World Cup 2030. The decision came as a surprise to some in soccer, which is still recovering from a corruption scandal and its refusal to address climate change. The agreement reached Wednesday by FIFA’s continental soccer bodies allowed a joint bid from the three countries to win the 2034 tournament, which will be held in four continents and feature 48 teams.
The decision to award the tournament to the three countries marks a new era in football as it moves to a more global and inclusive model. It also reflects the growing strength of North Africa as a footballing nation and region. The Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid will host games in both Europe and Africa, a first for the men’s competition.
Organizing a men’s World Cup requires huge investments in stadiums, transportation and other infrastructure. In recent years, defending champions Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay had shown interest in hosting the entire tournament but eventually dropped their bids.
In a statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the Morocco-Spain-Portugal plan “will celebrate the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.” The deal also includes allowing Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to stage three matches to start the event, which will be known as “Centenary Celebration Matches”.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco welcomed the news from FIFA on Wednesday, saying it was a sign that his country is rising as a global power. He added that the Kingdom would work in perfect synergy with its partners and their respective federations. In the same statement, the Royal Cabinet congratulated the teams from Spain and Portugal and expressed its gratitude for their cooperation.
Portugal
FIFA claims the Morocco, Portugal and Spain World Cup will be "a unique tournament across three continents in six countries, uniting the world while celebrating the beauty of football." That's an ambitious claim for a competition that requires billions in stadium renovations and new transportation infrastructure.
In announcing the decision, FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain. He said it "is a great message of unity, tolerance and inclusion in a divided world."
The proposal is designed to honor the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930. In addition to the host nations, a few matches will be played in South American countries to mark the centenary of that event.
While the Morocco, Portugal and Spain plan will be a challenge, it may not be as difficult as other recent joint bids. Canada, Mexico and the United States teamed up for 2026, while Australia joined forces with South Korea for 2002.
The bid's success will be largely determined by its sponsors. The Spanish and Portuguese federations are already discussing the possibility of bringing on major sports goods companies as partners. The RFEF, the body that governs football in Spain, will need to agree on a sponsorship agreement with a company that can afford the multibillion-dollar cost of staging the tournament.
Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay Organizing One of the 2030 World Cup Matches
The first three games of the 2030 World Cup will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the tournament's 100th anniversary. The unique format allows the soccer tournament to celebrate its centenary in a way that brings together six countries on three continents, the sport's governing body said. The agreement reached on Wednesday between soccer's continental leaders includes staging the first three matches in South America, where the first World Cup was played in 1930.
It is a strange arrangement that may not sit well with some of the more traditionalists in football. The idea will certainly make it a more interesting tournament from a fan perspective, but it is a risky one that could prove to be very difficult for the organising countries to execute successfully. The most obvious problem will be the huge amount of travel involved. A trip from Buenos Aires to Madrid will be a 13-hour journey for both teams, and the time zone changes will be challenging to manage for fans.
What's more, the decision to include both Europe and South America in the tournament narrows the field of potential hosts for 2034. That is likely to open the door for Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invested billions in soccer. It would be a move that, from a climate perspective, is either a step in the right direction or a recipe for disaster.
What's more, the decision to include both Europe and South America in the tournament narrows the field of potential hosts for 2034. That is likely to open the door for Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invested billions in soccer. It would be a move that, from a climate perspective, is either a step in the right direction or a recipe for disaster.
