How will the 2030 World Cup work? FIFA confirms it will take place in Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and South America

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. However, the tournament will commence in South America, marking the centenary of the first World Cup. This unique arrangement will see matches played across different seasons and hemispheres within the same competition.

A joint bid from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco was confirmed as the sole candidate for the 2030 World Cup in October 2023. This followed an initial dual bid from Spain and Portugal in 2021, with Ukraine joining in 2022. However, Ukraine’s participation was later replaced by Morocco due to the ongoing war and governance concerns within the Ukrainian Football Association.

A previous joint South American bid from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay was unsuccessful. Spain previously hosted the World Cup in 1982, while Portugal and Morocco have never hosted.

Stadiums and hosting locations

While specific stadium assignments haven’t been confirmed, the official bid evaluation report listed 20 stadiums across the three host nations. Spain is expected to host the most matches, utilizing 11 stadiums, including the Nou Camp (Barcelona) and the Santiago Bernabéu (Real Madrid). Portugal will use three stadiums (Estádio José Alvalade, Estádio da Luz, and Estádio do Dragão), and Morocco has proposed six venues, including a new stadium in Casablanca.

This marks the first time the World Cup will be played in North Africa. The final will be played at either the Bernabéu, the Nou Camp, or Morocco’s Grand Stade Hassan II (currently under construction).

The opening three matches will be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to commemorate the 1930 World Cup’s centenary. Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural tournament, with Argentina as the runner-up. Paraguay is the home of CONMEBOL, the oldest continental football federation.

Qualification and tournament format

The host nations (Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay) automatically qualify. Other qualifying spots will be allocated among the continental confederations (details to be finalized).

The 48-team tournament will follow the 2026 format: 12 groups of four, with the top two teams and eight best third-placed teams advancing to a 32-team knockout stage. The tournament, running from June 8th to July 21st, 2030, will feature 104 matches.