2030 World Cup hosts spread across 3 continents, 6 nations
The 2030 World Cup will be held in six countries on three continents as part of the 100th anniversary of the men’s soccer marquee competition, the sport’s global governing body said in a surprise announcement Wednesday.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the bulk of the 48-team, 104-match tournament, and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would stage one match apiece in celebration of the first World Cup, in 1930, which was played in Uruguay, FIFA said.
With the continental federations agreeing to the arrangement, FIFA will avoid a drawn-out campaign between strong European and South American bids. Initially, Spain and Portugal forged a pact before inviting Morocco; Ukraine was also a possible partner, as well. Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile were formulating a joint bid.
The 2030 tournament will kick off at Estádio
Centenário in Montevideo, Uruguay, site of the 1930 final. FIFA did not announce the cities for the matches in Argentina and Paraguay, but Buenos Aires and Asunción respectively are the presumed choices. The decision to include both Europe and South America in the 2030 tournament clears the way for countries from the Asian and Oceania federations exclusively to bid for the 2034 World Cup — and probably will result in Saudi Arabia winning the hosting rights.
ETC.
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