The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be held in six countries, with the opening match taking place in South America before moving to major venues in Europe and Africa.
This unique format will allow FIFA to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary with centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming tournament.
When is the next FIFA World Cup?
The next FIFA World Cup will be held in 2030.
According to FIFA’s proposed schedule, the 100th anniversary matches will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay on June 8th and 9th, followed by opening matches in Morocco, Portugal and Spain on June 13th and 14th.
The World Cup final is scheduled to take place on July 21, but FIFA has not yet announced the full schedule.
Where will the 2030 World Cup be held?
Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority of the tournament. To commemorate the tournament’s 100th anniversary, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each play one opening match, after which the remaining matches will move to the three main host nations.
According to FIFA, Uruguay will host the match to commemorate the first World Cup in 1930, and Argentina’s match will recognize their role as runners-up in the tournament. Paraguay will also host the match as the home of CONMEBOL, the only continental football confederation in existence at the time.
This tournament will be the first men’s World Cup to be held across six countries and three continents.
In which countries are you already qualified?
Six countries have already qualified for the 2030 FIFA World Cup with automatic qualification as hosts. Those are the three main co-hosts of the tournament: Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
The remaining 42 spots will be determined through FIFA’s continental qualification tournaments over the next few years.
What do we know about the schedule?
Teams participating in the three matches in South America will be given additional time to travel, rest and prepare before their next group match.
After the centenary games on June 8th and 9th, the main opening ceremony and first matches in Morocco, Portugal and Spain will be held on June 13th and 14th.
The remaining teams in the group, which includes Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, will begin their campaigns on June 15th and 16th. Second round matches for these groups are scheduled for June 21st and 22nd.
FIFA has not yet released the full calendar.
Could the tournament be expanded to 64 teams?
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is currently scheduled to involve 48 teams and will follow the same format as the 2026 tournament to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the governing body would consider a proposal to expand the competition to 64 teams.
In an interview with Swiss outlet Bluewin, Infantino described the 48-team system as a “huge success”, saying it had given more countries the opportunity to compete at the highest level and contributed to the game’s global growth.
He pointed to the performance of small soccer nations at the 2026 World Cup and argued that the sport would benefit from wider participation. Asked if the tournament could eventually be expanded to 64 teams, Infantino said the proposal “will be considered and discussed.”
What else do you know about the history of the FIFA World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup was created following the success of the men’s soccer tournaments at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games. Uruguay won both. At the time, Olympic soccer was organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which led FIFA to create its own tournament for national teams.
According to FIFA, nearly 50,000 people attended the 1924 Paris Olympic final, where Uruguay defeated Switzerland 3-0 to win the gold medal. Four years later, Uruguay defended their title by defeating Argentina 2-1, helping to convince FIFA of their sole World Cup success.
In May 1928, FIFA approved plans for the first World Cup and selected Uruguay as the host country. The country had won the previous two Olympics and celebrated 100 years of independence in 1930.
The first World Cup was held in July 1930, with 13 teams participating. Several European countries sailed to Uruguay, where the hosts defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo to become the first men’s world champions.
Since then, the tournament has expanded significantly, from 13 participating teams in 1930 to 32 teams in 1998 and 48 teams in 2026. The 2030 World Cup will mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup and will be the first men’s tournament to be held in six countries and three continents.
What will happen after the 2030 World Cup?
The next men’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2034.
FIFA recognized Saudi Arabia as the host country in December 2024 after Saudi Arabia became the only country to submit a bid.
Unlike the 2030 tournament, which will be held in six countries and three continents, the 2034 World Cup will be held in a single host country. FIFA has not yet announced the tournament dates or match schedule.
