Numerous countries have expressed interest in hosting 2030. FIFA will hold vetting for two years before making a final decision in 2024, six year before the event.
The World Cup will become a 48-team tournament starting in 2026. Future hosts will likely need to join forces in order to host such an event. Although there have only been two joint bids for the men’s World Cup in its history, several multi-nation proposals have already been made for 2030.
It was established in 1930. Since then, it has been held every four year except 1942 and 1946 during World War II. If FIFA fails to make it a biennial event, the 2030 edition would be its 24th edition.
Bidding process for 2030 FIFA World Cup
Officially, the bidding process was launched in the second quarter 2022. FIFA also announced that would be the host at the 74th FIFA Congress in 2024.
The host selected will have six years to prepare in advance for the tournament of 2030.
It is possible, however, that the selection process will take place earlier than originally planned. This was also the case with the 2026 World Cup. The united bid from USA, Canada and Mexico asked for an expedited bidding process without any rival bids being submitted. FIFA denied this request and Morocco submitted a competing bid.
Joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Ukraine for the 2030 World Cup
After their October 2020 announcement, Spain and Portugal were the second official bidders for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
This bid is known as the “Iberian Bid”, in reference to the Iberian Peninsula where these two countries lie. It is their second attempt to win a World Cup. They previously failed to host the 2018 or 2022 editions.
It was announced in October 2022 that Ukraine would join their bid. Ukraine is looking to host one group. The new expansion of 48 teams means that Ukraine will host three countries in three group stage matches.
Spain will be the tournament’s main host, with 11 Spanish venues being selected from a shortlist of 15. Three Portuguese stadiums will be included and an unknown number Ukrainian venues will be selected to host the limited number of matches.
Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup. It was host to the tournament that saw Italy win. Portugal, a wealthy footballing nation, has not hosted a World Cup before, but it has hosted a European championship since 2004. The European Championship was also held in Ukraine, where they were joint-hosts with Poland.
Can Ukraine host the 2030 World Cup?
The European bid for 2030 FIFA World Cup is interesting because Ukraine, which is currently at war against Russia, is also an interesting addition. It’s difficult to see this conflict lasting eight years. However, preparations for the 2030 tournament will take years. And it is still unclear how capable Ukraine will be to do so in the coming years.
Even though there are only a few matches that they can manage, their inclusion in the European bid could be a powerful pull on the hearts of FIFA member countries, but also a tug on the wallets as the look to appeal to the emotions and passions of watching fans around the globe.
Luis Rubiales stated during a news conference held at the Swiss headquarters UEFA after the announcement about Ukraine’s participation.
“I am convinced that our bid is now much stronger than it was before. Football is universal. If it can change the lives of so many people, it should be used for good.
Uruguay, Argentina and Chile jointly bid for the 2030 World Cup
The first official bid to FIFA for the 2030 World Cup was a joint South American bid by Uruguay and Argentina. It was announced in July 2017.
This bid has the biggest appeal because Uruguay hosted the very first World Cup in 30 years ago. On the 100th anniversary, the tournament will be held in the same place that it all began.
Paraguay was accepted in 2019 as a third host after months of being announced. This is the first time a bid of four nations to host a World Cup.
Three of the four countries included in this bid had hosted a World Cup before. Uruguay hosted the 1930 World Cup. Chile hosted the 1962 World Cup. Argentina was host in 1978. Paraguay is currently the only country in the group to not have hosted a World Cup. However, they have hosted one FIFA tournament before the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Morocco is bidding for the 2030 World Cup
In June 2018, Morocco announced its intention to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Five times before, the African nation tried to bid for FIFA World Cup, losing the last time to Canada, USA and Mexico.
Only one African country has hosted the FIFA World Cup before, with South Africa being awarded the 2010 event.
The Moroccan bid to host the 2026 tournament was made late in the process and included a promise to spend $16 million on tournament preparations, including facilities, infrastructure, hospitality, and venues.
It is possible for Egypt to join the bid together if a joint bid between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Egypt is not realized. As possible future additions, Tunisia and Algeria have been also mentioned.
There are other potential bids to host the 2030 World Cup.
A cross-continental bid that includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt is one bid that’s gaining momentum. Official FIFA rules on continental rotation say that Saudi Arabia’s Asian confederation is not eligible to host the 2022 World Cup. However, they may be able to include a country from another continent. Greece could also be considered for this bid.
There’s another second potential coalition bid involving Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Serbia, but despite the nations’ stated interest in working together, it is not clear whether this will go through and compete with Spain-Portugal-Ukraine. The Iberian Bid is gaining ground, with UEFA backing it heavily.
These are Europe’s only options, after the UK & the Republic of Ireland withdrew their bids. Instead, they focused on hosting the 2028 Euros to increase their chances of landing the rights for the European Championship.
FIFA Men’s World Cup hosts countries
Europe hosted 11 of the 23 tournaments while South America welcomed six. The six remaining World Cup competitions were divided between North America (3) and Asia (2), while Africa (1) was host to the other five.
| World Cup | Host Nation (s) | Confederation |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | South America |
| 1934 | Italy | Europe |
| 1938 | France | Europe |
| 1950 | Brazil | South America |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Europe |
| 1958 | Sweden | Europe |
| 1962 | Chile | South America |
| 1966 | England | Europe |
| 1970 | Brazil | South America |
| 1974 | Germany | Europe |
| 1978 | Argentina | South America |
| 1982 | Spain | Europe |
| 1986 | Mexico | North America |
| 1990 | Italy | Europe |
| 1994 | USA | North America |
| 1998 | France | Europe |
| 2002 | Japan & South Korea | Asia |
| 2006 | Germany | Europe |
| 2010 | South Africa | Africa |
| 2014 | Brazil | South America |
| 2018 | Russia | Europe |
| 2022 | Qatar | Asia |
| 2026 | USA, Canada & Mexico | North America |