The moment of Lionel Messi’s Argentina edging out then-defending champions France in the penalty shootout of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final in Qatar remains a vivid memory to many, and spectators now cannot wait for the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups to come any faster. As confirmed by FIFA’s official statement, the next edition of this quadrennial tournament will see it being hosted by three different nations and the format expanded from an original of 32 teams to 48 for the first time ever, while yesterday’s sources have also confirmed that the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be rewriting the history again as it will be played in six different countries across multiple regions.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco to Host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Inaugural Games to Take Place at Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
Revealed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the six host nations involved in the 2030 FIFA World Cup are 2010’s champion Spain, 1966’s third-placed team Portugal, the first and only African nation that have made into the semifinal stage of the tournament Morocco, defending and three-time world champions Argentina, multiple World Cup winners Uruguay and 1951’s semifinalist Paraguay. In other words, these nations meant the 2030 FIFA World Cup not only will see a record number in host countries, but also the number of regions (Three).
Like the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, which will have more than two hosts for the first time in its rich competition history, 48 teams will qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup according to the new format of the quadrennial tournament. As host nations, all of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will be the first teams to book their places in the finals, meaning they will not have to go through any qualifying phases for the competition.
Although La Roja, A Seleção das Quinas and the Atlas Lions are the official co-hosts of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, three inaugural matches of the competition will be played in the South American region at Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup, which was first held in Uruguay back in 1930.
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🏆🌎 Morocco, Spain and Portugal are set to host the 2030 World Cup.
Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to play their first games at home to celebrate 100 years since the first edition.
It’s gonna be World Cup in three continents for the first time ever. pic.twitter.com/7TfnoRDcUw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 4, 2023
FIFA’s Statement on the Selection of 2030 FIFA World Cup Host Nations
In light of the selection, FIFA released a statement that reads “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. 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.”
53-year-old FIFA president Infantino also added: “In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting. 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—welcome and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup.”
2022 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Messi recently scored the only goal for Argentina against Ecuador in the qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, you can check out all the match details in this article now.
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Can Argentina Defend Their Crown in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
We are still some time away from the 2030 FIFA World Cup, but fans can surely be excited about the next edition of the tournament, which will see the most matches ever in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
According to reports, Lionel Messi, the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning skipper, has spoken about the possibility of him playing in the 2024 edition. La Pulga, who will be 39 years of age by June 2026, has said that he will continue to wear the Argentina jersey for the 2024 Copa América, and evaluate his conditions year by year before he can set sights on La Albiceleste’s title defence campaign in 2026, whereas his arch-nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo, who are two years older than Messi, is most probably not featuring in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
