Saudi Arabia will host the Soccer World Cup in 2034while the 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal and Moroccowith unique matches in three South American countries, FIFA confirmed on Wednesday.
The decision was announced by the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantinoafter an extraordinary virtual congress. The 2030 and 2034 World Cups had a single bid and both were confirmed by acclamation.
“We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not diluted the quality, but rather has increased the opportunities,” Infantino said of the 2030 World Cup.
The combined proposal of Morocco, Spain and Portugal It will make the 2030 World Cup held on three continents and six nations, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting the tournament’s centenary commemorative matches.
As part of the ceremony, the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, also confirmed that the opening match of the 2030 World Cup will be played at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, the scene of the final of the first World Cup in 1930.
“South America is going to gather in 2030 in three different cities where we are going to have the modern, the impressive and what no one can buy, history. We are going to propose a stadium that is going to be the most modern on the continent, in conjunction with the largest stadium on the continent (…) Everything comes home,” Domínguez said.
The parties in the South American branch ofl World Cup will be played in the Centennialthe Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires and the Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb in Asunción, noted the president of Conmebol in his X account. Argentina and Spain have also hosted the tournament, in 1978 and 1982, respectively, while Portugal, Paraguay and Morocco They will be hosting for the first time.
“In 2030 we are waiting for you in the land of Alfredo Di Stefanoof Diego Armando Maradona and of Lionel Andres Messi“said Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association. In 2034, Saudi Arabia will become the second country in the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament, 12 years after its neighbor Qatar organized the 2022 edition.
In 2023, the FIFA He said the 2034 World Cup would be held in the Asia or Oceania region, and the Asian Football Confederation supported the Saudi bid. Australia and Indonesia had also held talks to present a joint bid, but abandoned it.
