Story perspectives

Spain Heads 2030 World Cup Hosts; Saudi Secures 2034

7/20/2026

Summary

Spain Hosts 2030

Spain will host the majority of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for June 8–July 21, 2030.
FIFA named Morocco, Portugal and Spain as main hosts and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay for a centenary match on December 11, 2024.
All six hosts qualify automatically for the 48-team tournament, with a 64-team expansion under review.
Saudi Arabia has been awarded the 2034 World Cup, returning the competition to a single-host format.

Summary

Infantino Expansion

Gianni Infantino’s push to expand the 2030 tournament to 64 teams is opposed by Aleksander Ceferin, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Victor Montagliani.
UEFA will adopt a two-tier 2028-29 Nations League qualifier while CONCACAF will use a format starting with an opening playoff and ending with direct qualification for group winners.
Morocco’s Hassan II Stadium, built for 115,000 fans at a cost above $500 million, is a leading final-venue candidate.

History

Historical Context

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, held from 31 May to 30 June 2002, was the first tournament jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea and the first in Asia, using 20 stadiums and generating about US$1.3 billion in revenue. That joint-host model now underpins FIFA’s 2030 proposal for a 64-team World Cup across Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South America, sparking debate over format and costs.

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Spain Hosts 2030

Spain will host the majority of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for June 8–July 21, 2030.
FIFA named Morocco, Portugal and Spain as main hosts and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay for a centenary match on December 11, 2024.
All six hosts qualify automatically for the 48-team tournament, with a 64-team expansion under review.
Saudi Arabia has been awarded the 2034 World Cup, returning the competition to a single-host format.

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