As Argentina and Spain get ready to decide who will lift the World Cup trophy, it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2030 tournament.
Between now and when the first ball is kicked on June 8, 2030, there will be plenty of major international soccer tournaments with the Women’s World Cup next summer and the European Championships and Copa América taking place in 2028, among many others. But it’s always good to be prepared for four years down the line when the world’s biggest sporting event will next take place.
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Where will the 2030 World Cup be held?
The 24th World Cup will also mark the 100th anniversary of the original tournament. Uruguay hosted the first event in 1930, which featured 13 teams and the host nation winning it all. (The United States finished in third place.)
While the main hosts of the 2030 World Cup will be Morocco, Portugal and Spain, there will be three matches played in South America as part of the centenary celebration. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay, the site of the 1930 final, along with Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb in Asunción, Paraguay, will host the opening games.
Lisbon and Porto will be the host sites in Portugal; Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh, Agadir, Fez and Tangier will be the six cities in Morocco; and Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Las Palmas, Valencia and Vigo will be the match locations in Spain.
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By virtue of hosting games, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Portugal and Spain will automatically qualify for the tournament.
A view of the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy with the flags of the hosts of the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2030 Centenary Celebration Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay during a trophy shoot at the Home of FIFA on December 11, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland.
(Harold Cunningham – FIFA via Getty Images)
When will the 2030 World Cup kick off?
Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host their opening matches on June 8 and 9, 2030. On June 13-14, FIFA will hold the opening ceremony and the rest of the schedule will start.
The 2030 World Cup final is set for Sunday, July 21, 2030, at a location to be announced by FIFA.
Will the 2030 World Cup also feature 48 teams?
There has not been an official announcement by FIFA, but considering the success of the 48-team format in 2026, it’s likely we see a similar setup.
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While 48 teams seems likely, don’t count out FIFA on increasing the field yet again. FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently said that a 64-team format will be explored for 2030. after representatives from CONMEBOL proposed the idea.
When will 2030 qualifying begin?
Each confederation is different when it comes to their qualifying format and how many teams will make it to the 2030 World Cup. UEFA, for instance, is planning for a Champions League-style format. CONCACAF, which is home to the United States, Mexico and Canada, will begin its qualifying process in Sept. 2027.3
