As already known but now officially confirmed, an extraordinary congress of FIFA on Wednesday approved that Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup in a ‘six-nation and three continents project’, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each hosting one of the games to be played.
The 2030 tournament will be made up of 104 matches compared to the usual 64 matches. There will also be 48 teams participating in the tournament rather than the usual 32.
According to Spain’s national broadcaster, RTVE, around 50% of the matches will be held in Spain.
The official opening match is scheduled to be in Spain (possibly at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, as it was for the 1982 tournament) and the World Cup Final is expected to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu, home of Real Madrid.
The three games to be played in South America – one each in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Asunción, will be a celebration of the centenary of the first World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: ‘Together with Portugal and Morocco, we will celebrate a historic event that will serve to highlight the wonders of our country and our football. It’s a great day for everyone.’
Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia was also officially confirmed on Wednesday by FIFA as the host of the 2034 World Cup, giving the oil-rich kingdom its biggest prize yet for massive spending on global sports driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich by FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino.
‘The vote of the congress is loud and clear,’ said Infantino, who had asked officials on a bank of screens to clap their hands at head level to show their support.
The decision completes a mostly opaque 15-month bid process which Infantino helped steer towards Saudi Arabia without a rival candidate, without taking questions, and which human rights groups warn will put the lives of migrant workers at risk.
‘We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world,’ Prince Mohammed said in a statement.
FIFA and Saudi officials have said hosting the 2034 tournament can accelerate change, including more freedoms and rights for women, with Infantino on Wednesday calling the World Cup a ‘unique catalyst for positive social change and unity’.
‘I fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process, and deliver a World Cup that meets the world’s expectations,’ the FIFA president said.
An international collective of rights groups, however, said FIFA had made a ‘reckless decision’ to approve Saudi Arabia without getting public assurances, and the Football Supporters Europe group said it was ‘the day football truly lost its mind’.
A fast-track path to victory was cleared last year by FIFA accepting the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup. It meant only football federations in Asia and Oceania were eligible for the 2034 contest, and FIFA gave countries less than four weeks to declare a bid. Only Saudi Arabia did.
The win will kick off a decade of scrutiny on Saudi labour laws and treatment of workers mostly from South Asia needed to help build and upgrade 15 stadiums, plus hotels and transport networks ahead of the 104-game tournament.
Amnesty International said awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia represents ‘a moment of great danger’ for human rights.
‘FIFA’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,’ said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport.
Following the decision on the appointment of the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 editions of the World Cup, FIFA Infantino said: ‘The FIFA World Cup is unique, and it is a unique catalyst as well for positive social change and unity because these tournaments, 2030, the celebration, 2034 – they are tournaments to unite, not to divide. They are tournaments, of course, to discuss, to debate and to act. But most importantly, today, today is a day of unity and a day of celebration.’
‘Seven countries have won their World Cup today,’ he said. ‘Congratulations to Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Saudi Arabia. This is your day. So, you should celebrate and we, we celebrate, of course, with you. And you, the 211 FIFA Member Associations that I can see on a giant screen in front of me, you are uniting the world. You are uniting the world truly, through football, because, of course, football unites the world.’
Introducing the hosts for the next two editions of the @FIFAWorldCup! 🏆
Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host in 2030, with centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Four years later, Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup 2034™. pic.twitter.com/WdOEdNEVxH
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 11, 2024
La FIFA ha confirmado que el Mundial de Fútbol Masculino de 2030 se jugará aquí, en España.
Junto a Portugal y Marruecos, celebraremos un acontecimiento histórico que servirá para poner en valor las maravillas de nuestro país y nuestro fútbol.
Es un gran día para todos. pic.twitter.com/rko188cLt3
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) December 11, 2024
Joint Statement: Award of 2034 men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia risks lives & exposes @FIFA’s empty human rights commitments.
Ronan Evain, Executive Director of Football Supporters Europe, said: “Today is a dark day for human rights and football as a whole.” 1/3 pic.twitter.com/wG70j9tBy4
— Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) December 11, 2024
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