All 211 FIFA member federations gathered for an Extraordinary FIFA Congress where Morocco, Portugal, and Spain were chosen as the host countries for the FIFA World Cup 2030. Additionally, three matches of this tournament will be held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay (one in each country) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the tournament. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was selected as the host country for the FIFA World Cup 2034.
The meeting, which was conducted entirely online by FIFA, was attended by the President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, via video conference.
The selection of the host countries for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup concludes a full bidding process that began in October 2023 following a unanimous proposal made by the FIFA Council, which was supported by all confederations. The goal was to provide harmony and rotation among the confederations in relation to the hosting cycle for the tournament.
Speaking at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress before the announcement of the respective host countries, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “In today’s divided world, where it seems no one can agree on anything anymore, to be able to agree on something like this is undoubtedly an incredible message of unity and positivity. And we need these messages today.”
After the decision to select the host countries for the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cup editions, President Infantino added: “The FIFA World Cup is unique, and it is also a unique catalyst for positive social change and unity because these are tournaments to bring people together, not to divide them. Today is a day of unity and a day of celebration. Seven countries have won the World Cup today. Congratulations to Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Saudi Arabia. And to you, the 211 FIFA member federations that I can see on a giant screen in front of me, you are uniting the world through football, because, of course, football unites the world.”
The Extraordinary FIFA Congress also approved the budgetary principles for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with all revenue generated to be reinvested in club football.
