2030 FIFA World Cup to Be Co-Hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Matches in Six Countries

About 10 days after the opening of the largest-ever 2026 FIFA World Cup, attention is already turning to the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to spark tensions between Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and its member associations over its scale, environmental impact and revenue model.
According to Spanish media outlet Demócrata, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held a joint meeting on the 17th with officials from 15 ministries involved in World Cup preparations to discuss plans for the event. Sánchez stressed that there are now fewer than four years left until what he called "one of the most important events in recent Spanish history."
In an announcement in 2023, FIFA said the 2030 FIFA World Cup would be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. To mark the tournament's 100th anniversary, FIFA also decided to stage matches in Uruguay, the host of the first World Cup. Argentina and Paraguay were also added as host countries, with three matches to be played in each of the three South American nations.
As a result, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be the first in history to be held across six countries on three continents: Europe, Africa and South America. The BBC noted that teams will have to deal with five time zones and two different seasons. The average flight time between Argentina and Spain is about 13 hours. Foreign media outlets have also pointed out that the spread-out schedule will create unnecessary carbon emissions because of the travel involved.
Another issue drawing attention is the number of teams in the final tournament. FIFA, which has 211 member associations, expanded the number of finalists from 32 to 48 for this year's World Cup. Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL, is now pushing for the 2030 tournament to be expanded to 64 teams.
This month, U.S. media outlets said FIFA, which has built an exclusive revenue structure, generated enormous profits thanks to the expansion of this year's World Cup field and the increase in the number of matches.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has not yet given a clear answer on whether the final tournament will be expanded further. According to AFP on the 12th, Infantino said in an interview with a Brazilian media outlet on the 11th that "we have discussed expanding the number of teams to 64, and this matter has also been reported to the FIFA Council."