Spain, Portugal and Morocco are set to co-host the 2030 men’s Fifa World Cup – with three South American nations hosting the tournament's opening matches to celebrate its centenary.
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay and host city of the first ever World Cup finals match in 1930, is set to stage the opening game of the tournament, with further home ties for Argentina and Paraguay to follow.
All six host countries will receive automatic qualification and the arrangement will see the tournament held across three continents for the first time.
The remainder of the 48-team competition will switch to north Africa and Europe, under a plan announced by Uefa, the Confederation of African Football and South American confederation Conmebol, which was accepted by the Fifa council at a meeting in Paraguay on Wednesday. The proposal is now subject to formal ratification by Fifa’s congress.
Meanwhile, within hours of the 2030 hosting arrangements being announced, Saudi Arabia launched its bid to secure 2034 hosting rights.
With the 2026 finals heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico and this latest tournament award, it was confirmed by Fifa that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for 2034.
Saudi Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said in a statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency: “Hosting a Fifa World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation.
“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a Fifa World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”
Uruguay has long been thought of as a likely host with the 2030 tournament taking place 100 years after they hosted and won the maiden competition. Argentina's hosting duties are recognition of the fact they were beaten finalists in 1930 and Paraguay are included as the traditional home of Conmebol.
If the 2030 proposal is ratified, Morocco would become only the second African nation to host World Cup finals matches, after South Africa in 2010.
Portugal have never hosted a World Cup before, while Spain last hosted in 1982. A joint South American bid had looked set to compete with a Spain-Portugal-Morocco proposal for the right to host, but the respective federations worked together to produce this compromise.
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Lionel Messi holds up the trophy after Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, on Sunday, December 18, 2022. AP -
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after beating France. AP -
France's Kylian Mbappe walks past the trophy at the end of the match. AP -
Argentina's Lionel Messi holds up the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament. AP -
Argentina celebrate victory at Lusail Stadium. Getty -
Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the trophy after beating France 4-2 on penalties. EPA -
Argentina celebrate victory. AP -
Argentina captain Lionel Messi celebrates with World Cup trophy. PA -
Kylian Mbappe of France with his Golden Boot award for finishing as the tournament's top scorer. EPA -
Argentina players celebrate after winning the World Cup final penalty shoot-out against France. Getty -
Argentina players celebrate victory. Getty -
Argentina's Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi celebrate after winning the World Cup. Reuters -
Argentina's Leandro Paredes celebrates scoring the winning penalty against France. Getty -
Argentina's Leandro Paredes celebrates scoring during the penalty shoot-out against France. Reuters -
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saves from Kingsley Coman of France in the penalty shoot-out. Getty -
Lionel Messi scores for Argentina in the penalty shoot-out. Getty -
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina celebrates after saving Kingsley Coman's penalty. Getty -
Kylian Mbappe completes his hat-trick from the spot to make it 3-3. Getty -
Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his, and France's, third goal. Getty -
Lionel Messi scores Argentina's third goal. Getty -
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina's third goal. Getty -
Lionel Messi scores Argentina's third goal. Reuters -
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina's third goal. PA -
Argentina's Lionel Messi goes for a high challenge on Eduardo Camavinga of France. Getty -
Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring Argentina's third. AFP -
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is beaten by the penalty of France's Kylian Mbappe. Getty -
Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring France's second goal. PA -
Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi fouls Randal Kolo Muani of France giving away a penalty. Getty -
Kylian Mbappe volleys home France's second goal. Getty -
Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria skips past the challenge of France's Antoine Griezmann. PA -
Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the first France goal. Getty -
Kylian Mbappe scores France's first goal from the penalty spot. Reuters -
Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring Argentina's second goal. Reuters -
Argentina's Lionel Messi sends France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot. Getty -
France's Kylian Mbappe with Lionel Messi of Argentina. Getty -
Angel Di Maria scores for Argentina in the first-half. Getty -
France's Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Adrien Rabiot after Argentina made it 2-0. PA -
Argentina's Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring with France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on his knees. Reuters -
Argentina's Nicolas Tagliafico and Randal Kolo Muani fight for the ball. AP -
Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring for Argentina. Getty -
Lionel Messi is mobbed by Argentina teammates after scoring. Getty -
France's Jules Kounde heads the ball. AP -
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring for Argentina. Getty -
Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria earns a penalty after going down under the challenge of France's Ousmane Dembele. Getty -
France's Olivier Giroud shakes hands with manager Didier Deschamps after being substituted in the first half. PA -
Lionel Messi scores from the spot for Argentina. PA -
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a first-half penalty for Argentina. Getty -
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saves from Argentina's Julian Alvarez. AP -
France manager Didier Deschamps, left, with his Argentina counterpart Lionel Scaloni before the game. AP -
Argentina players before the match. AP -
France players before the match. Getty
Morocco's King Mohammed VI welcomed Fifa's decision. The nation stunned the world in Qatar last year when they reached the semi-finals.
"His Majesty King Mohammed VI ... has the great pleasure of announcing to the Moroccan people that the Fifa Council has unanimously selected the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidate to organise the 2030 football World Cup," Morocco's Royal Office said in a statement.
The World Cup will thus return to the Mena region after the successful hosting of the 2022 edition in Qatar where Lionel Messi guided Argentina to the title after a pulsating final against France.
Pedro Rocha, president of the management committee of the Spanish Football Federation, said they were delighted to bring the tournament back to the country.
"I am sure that together with Morocco and Portugal we will organise the best World Cup in history," said Rocha.
Fernando Gomes, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, said: "Each of our countries brings a vibrant footballing tradition, unrivalled organisational experience and a capacity for innovation that will undoubtedly leave its mark on the future of the competition."
Fifa president Gianni Infantino praised the global reach that the tournament will enjoy.
"In a divided world, Fifa and football are uniting," he said. "The Fifa Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the Fifa World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way.
"In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents - Africa, Europe and South America - six countries - Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay - welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the Fifa World Cup."
