Six Nations, Centennial Celebration, and a Unique Hosting Experience

The 2030 FIFA World Cup is gearing up to be a historic milestone in the world of football, mark­ing the centennial anniver­sary of the prestigious tour­nament that began in 1930. This landmark event is not only about celebrating a century of football excel­lence but also rewriting the hosting rulebook. For the first time ever, three coun­tries from two continents will come together to host the world’s most celebrated sporting event.

Unprecedented Hosting:

Spain, Portugal, and Morocco have united their passion for the beautiful game to jointly host the 24th FIFA World Cup. It all began in October 2020 when the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Portuguese Football Feder­ation announced their plans for a collaborative bid. The heads of state and govern­ment of both nations threw their support behind this ambitious endeavor. And as if this alliance wasn’t groundbreaking enough, the Ukrainian Associa­tion of Football joined in, despite the ongoing Rus­sian invasion of Ukraine. Backed by the Confeder­ation of African Football (CAF), Morocco, with its rich football history, also jumped on board in March 2023.

A Look at the Hosts:

Spain, a country that previously hosted the World Cup in 1982, Euro 1964, and co-hosted Euro 2020, brings a wealth of experience to the table. Por­tugal, the host of Euro 2004, has shown its capability to organize top-notch foot­ball events. Morocco, with hosting rights for AFCON 1988 and WAFCON 2022, has proven its dedication to the sport. Together, they are ready to make history.

Stadium Spectacle:

The excitement doesn’t stop there. Spain and Portugal have shortlist­ed fifteen potential ven­ues across thirteen cities, aiming to finalize eleven venues for the tournament. The iconic Santiago Bern­abéu Stadium in Madrid is poised to host the opening match and the grand final.

Mrocco has also made significant prepara­tions, selecting six venues for the bid. These include five existing venues and an impressive new 93,000-seat stadium.

South American Surprise:

While the Iberian and Moroccan bid had been making headlines, another surprise emerged during the selection announce­ment. Three South Amer­ican nations - Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay - stepped into the limelight, revealing their own joint bid for the 2030 World Cup. This collaboration is particularly significant, as it commemorates the centen­nial of the first-ever World Cup hosted by Uruguay in 1930.

Luis Suárez of Uruguay and Lionel Messi of Argentina, two of the world’s greatest footballers, took center stage, present­ing commemorative shirts to promote their bid. The Paraguayan Football Feder­ation also joined this part­nership in October, while the Football Federation of Chile added its support in February 2019.

Expanding the Horizons:

Eighteen stadiums spread across thirteen host cities are under consider­ation for this South Amer­ican bid. These include sixteen existing venues and a new stadium in Luque, Paraguay, where the head­quarters of the Confed­eración Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL) are located.

Conclusion:

The 2030 FIFA World Cup is set to be a tournament like no other, with the world’s top foot­balling nations coming together to celebrate a cen­tury of the beautiful game. The joint hosting by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, along with the surprise entry of Uruguay, Argenti­na, and Paraguay, promises to deliver an unforgettable footballing spectacle that spans three continents. As the countdown begins, football fans around the world eagerly await this historic event, which will undoubtedly leave an in­delible mark on the sport’s illustrious history.