FIFA confirmed that the 2034 World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia while the 2030 World Cup, the 100th edition of the tournament, will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
Both bids were uncontested and approved during a virtual FIFA Congress on Wednesday. Along with this, the 2030 centenary matches of FIFA World Cup 2030, will be hosted jointly by Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
“Introducing the hosts for the next two editions of the @FIFAWorldCup! Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host in 2030, with centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Four years later, Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup 2034,” FIFA wrote on X.
The first of these three matches will be played in South America at the stadium where it all began, in Estadio Centenario, Uruguay. Nations present during the FIFA Congress gave their votes by clapping their hands in front of their cameras.
Last year, Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup in a process where FIFA decided to combine the decisions on the 2030 and 2034 tournaments into a single vote.
After the official announcement, Saudi Arabia will host the tournament for the first time, indicating their growing influence in the world of sports.
Saudi Arabia’s bid received the highest score by FIFA’s bid evaluation team, 4.2 out of 5. The 2034 World Cup will mark the first time the expanded 48-team tournament will be held in just one country.
The 48-team tournament will be hosted for the first time in the 2026 World Cup by three countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated the hosting nations before concluding the FIFA Congress. (ANI)
