When is the next FIFA World Cup? 2030 hosts, dates and format

Published 19 July 2026 · sports

The 2030 tournament will span six countries and three continents as FIFA celebrates the World Cup’s centenary. The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be staged

The 2030 tournament will span six countries and three continents as FIFA celebrates the World Cup’s centenary. The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be staged across six countries, with opening matches in South America before the competition moves to its main hosts in Europe and Africa. The unique format will allow FIFA to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary with centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Here is what to know about the next tournament When is the next FIFA World Cup? The next FIFA World Cup will be held in 2030. According to FIFA’s proposed schedule, centenary matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay on June 8 and 9, followed by the opening matches in Morocco, Portugal and Spain on June 13 and 14. The World Cup final is expected to be played on July 21, although FIFA has not yet confirmed the full match schedule. Where will the 2030 World Cup be held? Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority of the tournament. To mark the competition’s 100th anniversary, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one opening-round match before the remaining fixtures move to the three main host nations. According to FIFA, Uruguay will host a match in recognition of staging the inaugural World Cup in 1930, while Argentina’s game will acknowledge its role as runner-up in that tournament.

Paraguay will also host a game as the home of CONMEBOL, the only continental football confederation in existence at the time. The tournament will become the first men’s World Cup to be held across six countries and three continents. Which countries have already qualified? Six countries have already secured their places at the 2030 FIFA World Cup through automatic qualification as hosts. They are Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the tournament’s three main cohosts, as well as Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The remaining 42 places will be decided through FIFA’s continental qualifying tournaments over the coming years. What do we know about the schedule? The teams taking part in the three matches in South America will be given additional time to travel, rest and prepare before their next group games. After the centenary fixtures on June 8 and 9, the main opening ceremony and first matches in Morocco, Portugal and Spain are expected to take place on June 13 and 14. The remaining teams in the groups containing Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay would begin their campaigns on June 15 and 16. The second round of matches in those groups is scheduled for June 21 and 22. FIFA has yet to release the complete calendar. Could the tournament expand to 64 teams? The 2030 FIFA World Cup is currently set to feature 48 teams, the same format that debuted at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.