October 05, (THEWILL) – The 2030 FIFA World Cup will make history by being hosted across three continents for the first time. Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host the 48-team tournament, with the opening three matches to take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
The decision to hold the inaugural games in South America is to celebrate the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930. Earlier this year, the three South American nations put forward a rival co-hosting proposal. All six host countries will automatically qualify for the 2030 World Cup set to take place in June-July 2030.
“In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He stated that the FIFA Council unanimously agreed having the opening matches in South America would appropriately honour the World Cup’s 100th anniversary. The first game will be at Uruguay’s Estadio Centenario, the site of the inaugural 1930 tournament.
The Council also unanimously approved the joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain as the sole hosts for the remainder of the 2030 World Cup. Infantino hailed this as bringing together two continents, Africa and Europe, in a “celebration of football” that promotes “social and cultural cohesion”.
FIFA confirmed bidding for the 2034 World Cup will be restricted to Asian and Oceania member associations. Saudi Arabia has already expressed interest, with Australia also expected to bid after recently co-hosting the women’s tournament.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
