Spain, Portugal and Morocco will jointly host the men’s football World Cup in 2030, Fifa said on Wednesday, while three matches will be held in South America to mark the centenary of the first tournament.
Fifa had been due to select a host for the World Cup next year, but football’s governing body said Spain, Portugal and Morocco’s joint offer had now been selected as the sole candidate following discussions with regional federations.
As part of the announcement, Fifa said it was now inviting proposals for the 2034 tournament from aspiring hosts in Asia and Oceania. Saudi Arabia said soon after that it intended to bid, according to its state news agency.
The joint southern Europe and north Africa proposal marks the first time the tournament will be held in more than one continent, and will follow on from the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US. Fifa is expecting revenue of more than $10bn from the contest in North America, up from $6.3bn generated by the event held in the tiny Gulf state of Qatar late last year.
In a statement, Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino said: “Two continents — Africa and Europe — united not only in a celebration of football but also in providing unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.”
Ukraine had been part of the Spain-Portugal bid, but was replaced earlier this year by Morocco, which reached the semi-finals in Qatar. Argentina won the winter World Cup after the team led by Lionel Messi beat France on penalties in a match regarded as one of the classic finals.
A combined bid from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay had been seen as a potential alternative to the Spanish-led offer. However, Fifa said a separate event to mark the first World Cup, which was won by the host nation Uruguay in 1930, would be organised instead. Each of the three South American countries will also host a single World Cup match in 2030.
The decision was welcomed in Spain, which is still reeling from the scandal over the kiss disgraced ex-football chief Luis Rubiales planted on the lips of a female player after the country won the women’s World Cup in August.
Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s acting prime minister, called Fifa’s decision “great news and a source of great pride”, saying: “We will demonstrate the strength of our country’s football as world champions, and we will defend the values of equality, solidarity and healthy competition that should accompany sport.”
Many players in Spain’s women’s team are still at odds with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, saying that even after Rubiales’ exit they still suffer from structural discrimination.
The federation said Spain, Portugal and Morocco “will work to organise a memorable World Cup that honours diversity and celebrates the history of the competition with the passion for football that unites the three countries”. Spain previously hosted the World Cup in 1982.
Fifa also said it would allow Russian youth teams to compete in upcoming under-17s competitions, following a similar ruling last week from Uefa, European football’s governing body. Teams will have to participate without the national anthem or flag and under the name “football union of Russia” while playing in neutral colours.
Earlier in the day, the UK and Ireland emerged as the sole bidder for Euro 2028 after Turkey withdrew its candidacy to focus on a joint application with Italy for the tournament’s 2032 edition. A final decision on the 2032 hosts will be made next week by the executive committee of Uefa.
The UK and Ireland have put forward 10 cities and stadiums to host the European championships in 2028. The venues range from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff to Casement Park in Belfast and Hampden Park in Glasgow. London’s Wembley Stadium has been earmarked as the host arena for the semi-finals and final.
The Euros tournament is among the most high-profile events in football. Germany is set to host Euro 2024, the 17th edition of the competition.
The UK and Ireland said they intended to make 3mn tickets available to fans, the highest number in the history of the Euros. They also estimated the tournament would generate £2.6bn in socio-economic benefits for the host nations.
