In an earlier announcement, FIFA declared Morocco, Spain, and Portugal to be the host of the 2030 World Cup but it also said that Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host three matches to commemorate the tournament’s centenary. The announcement was scheduled to be made in 2024.
According to FIFA, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain’s combined candidature was the only one eligible to host the event.
In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup, which the country ultimately won after Uruguay defeated Argentina in the championship match.
Former President of Spain’s Football Federation Luis Rubiales was recently forced to resign after his alleged unwanted kiss on Jenni Hermoso’s lips at the Women’s World Cup. Weeks after the kiss scandle, Spain have been awarded the World Cup.
“The FIFA Council unanimously agreed that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot allocation subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024,” FIFA said in a statement.
“Additionally, having taken into account the historical context of the first-ever FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in the country’s capital, Montevideo… as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively.”
Some teams may have to play their group matches during various seasons because the World Cup is spread across six nations in two hemispheres.
In order to avoid playing in the sweltering heat of the Gulf summer, the 2022 World Cup was staged in Qatar but was relocated from the customary mid-year window and played in November and December.
The defending champions Argentina have announced that they would “play the first match of the 2030 group stage at home and with its people,” according to their football organisation (AFA).
“The FIFA Council… 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. As a result, a celebration will take place in South America and three South American countries – Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – will organise one match each of the FIFA World Cup 2030.”
The first of these three games, according to Infantino, will take place in Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario, the site of the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will all automatically qualify for the World Cup, according to Robert Harrison, head of the Paraguayan Football Association. However, he did not elaborate on what this means for the South American qualifying tournament.
Although Paraguay has won the Copa America championship twice, their greatest tournament performance was being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup, where they had last qualified.
Spain last hosted the World Cup in 1982, whereas Portugal and Morocco have never done so.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Management Committee President, Pedro Rocha, expressed excitement about bringing the 2010 World Cup to his nation. He asserted, “I am sure that together with Morocco and Portugal we will organise the best World Cup in history.”
After failing to win the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 editions with Spain, Portugal, who hosted the European Championship in 2004, has finally prevailed in the World Cup bidding process.
