If you thought three host nations for one World Cup was a lot, brace yourself. In 2030, the tournament will be hosted by six nations across three continents.
That’s because it won’t just any World Cup, it will be the centenary of the first edition hosted and won by Uruguay at Estadio Centenario Montevideo.
So, the first three games of the tournament will be held in South America in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Following the conclusion of these, the games will continue in Europe and Africa across Portugal, Spain and Morocco, in a similar style to what we’ve seen in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This will be the first World Cup held in Africa since South Africa in 2010.
When and where is World Cup 2030?
The tournament will last from June 8 to July 11, 2030, and will feature 48 teams across 104 matches.
Uruguay will host the first match at Estadio Centenario Montevideo, the stage of its 4-2 win over Argentina in the 1930 edition. Argentina will then host the second game at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, its first World Cup game on home soil since it won the 1978 tournament. Paraguay, as the home of South America’s governing football body CONMEBOL, will host the third.
Teams playing in South America will have 11 or 12 days of rest before playing their second game in Europe or Africa.
Spain hosts for the first time since 1982, when Italy defeated West Germany for the title. Morocco and Portugal have never hosted at all. The site of the final has not yet been awarded and host cities must be approved before a December 2026 deadline. Morocco is building a strong case for it with the planned Hassan II Stadium outside Casablanca, which will seat 115,000 fans — making it the largest venue in the tournament.
All six hosts have automatically qualified for the tournament. The remaining at least 42 teams must earn a spot through regional qualifying, which begins in 2027. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is looking into expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but it is still a 48-team tournament until FIFA decides otherwise.
Still, the 2026 World Cup is not yet over as Spain prepares to take on the winner of Argentina vs. England in Sunday’s final.
Will Spain win its first title since 2010? England has been waiting even longer, not winning since 1966, but Argentina has the chance to make history by becoming the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
The 2026 final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19 at 2 p.m. CT.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Where is the 2030 World Cup? Tournament will be hosted in six countries
