The 2030 Football World Cup will be organized by Portugal, Spain and Morocco, FIFA announced today, after the body's Council meeting.
“The FIFA Council unanimously decided that the only eligible candidacy is the joint one between Morocco, Portugal and Spain, which will organize the competition in 2030”, says FIFA in a statement published on the official website.
In the same note, the organization also revealed that Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host three games at this World Cup, as a way of “celebrating the centenary” of the competition, whose first edition took place in Uruguay, in 1930.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Antõnio Costa has already welcomed this news, saying that he welcomed the decision to award the organization of the Football World Cup in 2030 to Portugal, Spain and Morocco, expressing confidence that it will be a huge success.
“It is with great joy that we receive the news that the 2030 Football World Cup will be organized jointly by Portugal, Spain and Morocco. We congratulate the Portuguese Football Federation for its commitment and work”, wrote the Prime Minister.
In the same message, the leader of the executive welcomes Portugal's partnership with Spain and Morocco, “in the certainty that it will be another demonstration of capacity and proof given in organizing major events”.
“It will certainly be a hugely successful World Cup”, he adds.
For his part, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said that the joint organization of the World Cup 2030, with Morocco and Spain, and commemorative games in South America, will “mark the future of the competition”.
“Each of our countries brings to the table a vibrant football tradition, an unparalleled organizational experience and a capacity to innovate, which will certainly mark the future of the competition”, stated the federative director, quoted in a statement from the FPF.
Furthermore, this text guarantees the three countries that they will “work to prepare the best candidacy dossier ever presented and organize a World Cup that honors diversity and celebrates the history of the competition”.
Pedro Rocha, current leader of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), is even “sure” that the trio will “organize the best World Cup ever”, with Spain hosting the tournament 50 years later.
For the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RFMF), President Fouzi Lejkaa highlighted this as “an important moment in the history of Morocco”, as well as “a pride and a responsibility”.
“[It is] a privilege to join forces with our counterparts in Portugal and Spain to prepare a candidacy dossier that, I am sure, will make history and take the organization to a level never reached before,” he added.
The federation's note follows the announcement by the FIFA Council of the decision that will make the championship cover six countries and three different continents.
“The decision known today conveys FIFA's confidence in the work already carried out and in the capacity and professionalism that each of the three countries, at different times, has already demonstrated in planning events of this size”, the statement read.
The FPF also notes the work led by António Laranjo in the Candidacy Committee.
Portugal and Morocco will host World Cup games for the first time, with Spain repeating, which hosted the competition in 1982, in the 24th edition that will have inaugural games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, as a way of celebrating the centenary of the first tournament played on Uruguayan soil.
This will be the first time that a World Cup will be shared between six countries, after being played for the first time in three, in 2026, with Canada, Mexico and the United States as co-hosts.
Until now, the only joint organization was led by South Korea and Japan, at the 2002 World Cup.
The Iberian candidacy began in October 2020, and two years later it was extended to Ukraine, after the Russian invasion, and, last March, to Morocco, with the Ukrainian exit never being made official.
Portugal makes its debut in World Cups, after having hosted Euro2004, Spain Euro1964 and World Cup 1982, while Morocco has already hosted the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 1988.
Updated at 17:57 pm, adding reactions from the prime minister and federation presidents
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