World Cup 2030

The 2030 men's World Cup will be hosted across six countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, international soccer officials announced yesterday, the first time the global tournament will be played across three continents. The tournament will mark the World Cup's centennial anniversary, which began in 1930.

Cohosts Spain and Portugal submitted a bid in 2020, with Morocco joining in March. The revelation of three South American countries—Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay—came as a surprise during yesterday's selection announcement. The deal allows the opening match to be played in Uruguay's Centenario Stadium, which hosted the inaugural World Cup final (in which Uruguay beat Argentina; see original footage). All six teams will be automatically entered into the 48-team tournament.

The plan may help defray hosting costs for each country. Brazil (2014) and Russia (2018) spent more than $12B each to host the tournament, while Qatar (2022)—which required infrastructure development—spent $220B. See a deep dive into the economics here.