FIFA, the world footballing body has officially named Morocco, Spain and Portugal as co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup while Saudi Arabia would be the host nation of the FIFA 2034 World Cup.
This decision was announced by the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino following the Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting which was held on Wednesday.
Regarding the 2030 World Cup, which Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would host one opening match each, Infantino said, “What better way to celebrate 100 years of the World Cup than having a World Cup in six countries, on three continents, with 48 teams?
“We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not diluted the quality. It actually enhanced the opportunity.”
Morocco has never hosted the World Cup and will become the second African nation to do so, after South Africa in 2010.
Uruguay hosted the first competition in 1930, Spain has previously staged the competition while Portugal will be first-time hosts.
Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup was unopposed, after other nations, including Australia and Indonesia, withdrew from the bidding process.
Saudi Arabia has committed to building eight new stadiums to accommodate the expanded 48-team competition and it also marks a historic moment for the Middle Eastern country because it has never hosted a competition of this magnitude.
Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament after Qatar did so in 2022.
However, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, voiced strong objections against such a decision, citing several concerns over Saudi’s human rights record, including alleged abuses of migrant workers, free expressions, amongst other allegations.
Amnesty International’s head of labor rights and sport, Steve Cockburn, said, “FIFA’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk.”
The 2026 World Cup would be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
