Only four years to the next men’s World Cup – what can we expect from the 2030 edition?

If the 2026 World Cup was the tournament’s largest edition yet – featuring 48 teams for the first time in its 96-year history, being played in three different countries – the 2030 World Cup is going to have an even bigger footprint.

How many countries will host the 2030 World Cup?

Technically three. The tournament is set to be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, marking the first time the World Cup will be held in more than one confederation and the first time it will visit north Africa.

In addition, though, and in honour of the World Cup’s 100-year anniversary, a special match is scheduled to be held at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay – the stadium that hosted the 1930 World Cup final. There will also be one match each in Argentina and Paraguay.

How did this come about?

The bidding process for the 2030 World Cup began in earnest in 2022, with the host to be officially selected at the 2024 Fifa congress. The governing body’s rules for rotating the tournament between continents meant that football federations from Asia (AFC) and North America (Concacaf) were ineligible to host following the Qatar 2022 and North America 2026 bids respectively.

Uefa federations Spain and Portugal – unsuccessful in 2018 and 2022 and ineligible in 2026 – added Morocco to their joint bid in 2023. That same year, Conmebol federations Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile launched their joint bid, with a proposed tournament name of “Centenary World Cup”.

In October 2023, the Fifa council unanimously selected the Morocco-Portugal-Spain bid over the South American bid.

And why are South America still hosting some games?

The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, announced that Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would host one match each to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup “in the most appropriate way”. Uruguay hosted – and won – the tournament’s inaugural edition with Argentina beaten 4-2 in the final. A game will also be played in Paraguay in recognition of the country’s role as the home of Conmebol, the only confederation in existence in 1930.

Fifa has also announced “a unique centenary celebration ceremony”, scheduled to take place in Montevideo the week before the tournament begins on 13 June 2030.

How many teams will take part?

Initially the idea was for it to be 48 teams again, but during this World Cup Infantino raised to prospect of it being expanded with a further 16 nations.

“That’s definitely ​an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said. “When organising ⁠a World Cup, it’s important to organise it for the whole world – not just Europe and South America – but effectively the ⁠entire world.

An expansion had already been suggested in 2025 when the Conmebol president, Alejandro Domínguez, put forth an official proposal to expand the number of participating teams to 64 in honour of the tournament’s centennial. “[It] will be unique because 100 years are celebrated only once,” Domínguez said.

What will it look like?

Spain last hosted the World Cup in 1982, the final of which involved Italy defeating West Germany in the Bernabéu. Co-hosts Portugal and Morocco have hosted various major sporting events, among them the 2004 Euros and the 2025 Afcon.

The 2030 World Cup will take place across 17 host cities – one more than the 2026 edition – with 11 of the proposed 20 stadiums located in Spain. Among the 17 host cities are Marrakech and Tangier in Morocco, Porto and Lisbon in Portugal and Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastián in Spain.

The main talking point so far?

Without a doubt the inclusion of the centenary match hosts. By rejecting the South American host bid but declaring that Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would host one match each Fifa ensured that Conmebol would be ineligible to bid for the 2034 World Cup with Asia and Oceania the only two continents able to host. (The 2034 edition has since been awarded to Saudi Arabia, a decision that has been heavily criticised by human rights groups).

And beyond that?

Well, who knows? After the shenanigans of Donald Trump’s intervention and Folarin Balogun’s red card being suspended, could we see the Spanish king, Felipe VI, get involved after an over-zealous Lamine Yamal tackle in the last 64? With these guys in charge, nothing is off the table.