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Football Today

·21 July 2026

Spain ended Argentina’s reign by clinching the first FIFA World Cup held in the United States since 1994, and they will now have the opportunity to defend their crown on home turf in 2030.

Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike sealed glory for La Furia Roja, earning them their second World Cup title. However, they will need to overcome the long-standing ‘defending champions’ curse’ four years from now if they are to retain their title.

The 2030 edition will be unique for several reasons. It will be the first tournament in history to be hosted across six nations and three continents, as FIFA celebrates the centenary of the World Cup.

Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will serve as the main co-hosts, while three special centenary matches will take place in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

To mark 100 years of the competition, each of the three South American countries will hold one opening-round match, with the remainder of the tournament being played in the three principal host nations.

Uruguay will host a match to honour its role as the host of the inaugural World Cup in 1930. Argentina’s fixture will acknowledge its position as runners-up in that historic tournament.

Paraguay will host a match as a tribute to its status as the home of CONMEBOL, which was the sole continental football confederation in existence at the time of the first World Cup.

According to FIFA’s provisional calendar, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will stage their centenary matches on June 8 and 9, before the main tournament officially begins across Morocco, Portugal, and Spain on June 13 and 14.

The World Cup final has been tentatively scheduled for July 21, though FIFA has yet to release the full fixture list.

As both the defending champions and one of the co-hosts, Spain automatically qualify for the 2030 World Cup, where they will aim to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back titles.

Alongside Spain, Portugal and Morocco also gain automatic entry as co-hosts.

Similarly, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay have been granted automatic qualification as part of their centenary hosting roles.

The remaining 42 spots will be decided through FIFA’s continental qualifying competitions—unless the tournament is expanded to 64 teams, as hinted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The 2026 World Cup was the first to feature 48 teams, but FIFA appears to be considering another expansion for 2030.

Infantino has publicly discussed the possibility of increasing the number of participating nations to 64, suggesting that the centenary World Cup could be the ideal occasion for such a historic move.

The 56-year-old, who faced criticism following several contentious events in North America, defended the 48-team format as a ‘great success’ despite differing opinions.

However, the proposed expansion has generated widespread debate, with detractors questioning whether it would enhance the tournament’s appeal or compromise its competitive integrity.

While smaller nations such as Cape Verde have produced inspiring performances, many observers feel such moments are exceptions rather than the norm.

Concerns remain that a 64-team format might dilute competition, leading to more one-sided matches and diminishing the value of qualification.

Proponents argue that expanding the field would be commercially beneficial, giving major nations like China, India, and Indonesia a better chance of qualifying.

It would also improve opportunities for teams such as Nigeria and Italy—four-time champions who have missed the last three World Cups—something the 48-team format could not fully achieve.

In contrast to the 2030 edition, which will span six nations across three continents, the 2034 World Cup will be hosted by a single country.

In December 2024, FIFA confirmed that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 tournament following an uncontested bidding process in which it was the only nation to submit a proposal.

However, FIFA has not yet announced the official dates or match schedule for the event.

The 2038 World Cup presents an interesting scenario. Given that the 2030 tournament covers Europe and Africa—and part of South America due to the centenary fixtures—these continents will be excluded from the rotation. With the 2034 edition in Asia, the logical options for 2038 narrow down to North America and Oceania, with the United States emerging as a leading candidate to host the tournament.