Football's next World Cup already has its stage - six countries across three continents, marking the tournament's 100th anniversary in the biggest way it ever has.
FIFA confirmed on December 11, 2024, that Morocco, Portugal and Spain will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, running from June 8 to July 21, 2030. That 44-day stretch will make it the longest World Cup in history. It's the first time the tournament has ever been played in Morocco or Portugal, and Spain's first time hosting since 1982.
To mark the centennial of the very first World Cup, FIFA is adding a special twist: Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one match before the main tournament begins. The opening match returns to Montevideo's Estadio Centenario, the same stadium where Uruguay beat Argentina in the first-ever World Cup final in 1930.
Stadium plans are still being finalized, but the bid outlines roughly 20 stadiums across the three main hosts - 11 in Spain, six in Morocco, and three in Portugal. The most eye-catching venue is Morocco's Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca, planned to seat 115,000 and become the largest football stadium in the world. FIFA is expected to formally confirm the final host-stadium list, including where the final itself will be played, by around December 2026.
Portugal and Spain hold two of the faith's most significant pilgrimage destinations - the Marian shrine at Fátima and the Camino de Santiago - meaning a 2030 World Cup trip could double as a journey through centuries of Christian history.
