FIFA is set to officially confirm the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups on Wednesday. The decision, which has been widely anticipated due to the lack of competing bids, will see the 2030 tournament awarded to a unique three-continent, six-nation bid led by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, while Saudi Arabia is poised to host the 2034 edition.
The announcement, expected to be little more than a formality, comes after FIFA revealed in October 2023 that there were no rival bids for either tournament. However, the process has not been without its share of criticism, with concerns raised over the bidding process, environmental impact, and human rights issues.
The 2030 World Cup will mark the centenary of the tournament, which was first held in Uruguay in 1930. To commemorate the milestone, FIFA has approved a unique format that will see matches played across three continents and six nations. The majority of the tournament will take place in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, but Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host celebratory matches to honor the tournament’s origins.
Uruguay, the inaugural host of the World Cup, will stage one of the opening matches, alongside Argentina and Paraguay. This arrangement comes after a joint bid by Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay in 2022 was restructured by FIFA, with the South American nations agreeing to host only a few games.
Saudi Arabia, the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup, is set to become the second Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament, following Qatar’s controversial staging of the 2022 edition. The Kingdom’s bid faced no competition after Australia and Indonesia, who had considered a joint bid, withdrew from the race.