2030 FIFA World Cup facts for kids
| Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2030 (Spanish) Campeonato do Mundo da FIFA de 2030 (Portuguese) كأس العالم فيفا 2030 (Arabic) ⴰⴽⵔⵡⴰⵙ ⵏ ⵓⵎⴰⴹⴰⵍ 2030 (Standard Moroccan Tamazight) |
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| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Morocco Portugal Spain |
| Dates | 8 June – 21 July |
| Teams | TBA (from 6 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | TBA |
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is a huge international football tournament. It is the 24th time this exciting event has happened! National teams from all over the world compete to win.
Morocco, Portugal, and Spain are the main host countries for the 2030 World Cup. To celebrate 100 years since the very first World Cup in 1930, special matches will also be played in South America. One match will be in Montevideo, Uruguay, at the Estadio Centenario, where the first final was held. Other special matches will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Estadio Monumental, and in Asunción, Paraguay, at Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb.
This World Cup is special because it is the first time it will be held across different continents! It is also the first time Africa has hosted since 2010, and the first time ever for North Africa. Morocco, Paraguay, and Portugal are hosting for the first time. Uruguay, Argentina, and Spain have hosted before, in 1930, 1978, and 1982.
Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay all automatically qualified for the tournament because they are host nations. Spain is also the current champion, having won the 2026 World Cup! This makes them the first defending champions to host the tournament.
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Thinking About More Teams
In March 2025, CONMEBOL (the South American football confederation) suggested making the tournament bigger. They proposed having 64 teams to celebrate 100 years of the World Cup. Later that year, CONMEBOL leaders talked to FIFA president Gianni Infantino about this idea.
On July 20, 2026, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez announced that the tournament would feature 64 teams. However, FIFA has not officially confirmed this yet. Some people worry that having too many teams might make it less exciting or make it easier to qualify.
Choosing the Host Countries
FIFA started looking for hosts for the 2030 World Cup in 2022. There is a rule that countries from continents that hosted the last two World Cups cannot bid. This meant countries from Asia (who hosted in 2022) and North/Central America (who hosted in 2026) could not bid for 2030.
Portugal and Spain first announced they wanted to host together in 2020. Later, in 2022, they even included Ukraine in their plan. However, Ukraine's part of the bid did not continue.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation had tried to host the World Cup five times before. In March 2023, King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced that Morocco would join the bid with Portugal and Spain.
On December 11, 2024, FIFA officially confirmed that Morocco, Portugal, and Spain would be the joint hosts for the 2030 World Cup. At the same meeting, Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the 2034 tournament.
| 2024 Extraordinary FIFA Congress 11 December 2024 – Zurich, Switzerland (virtual) |
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| Nation | Round 1 |
|---|---|
 Morocco,  Portugal,  Spain |
Acclamation |
Stadiums and Host Cities
Before the final plans were submitted on July 31, 2024, Spain suggested 11 stadiums in 9 cities. The final list of host cities was decided shortly after. It includes six stadiums in Morocco, three in Portugal, and eleven in Spain. This makes a total of twenty stadiums across seventeen cities. Twenty-three different stadiums are being considered in total.
In April 2025, some people in San Sebastián asked for their city not to be a host. They were concerned about too many tourists. In July 2025, Málaga also decided not to host because of issues with stadium renovations. Then, in March 2026, A Coruña withdrew because of the high costs of hosting. This happened even though they had plans to improve their stadium.
By the end of March 2026, Spain suggested two new stadiums to replace Málaga and A Coruña. These were Nou Mestalla in Valencia and Estadio de Balaídos in Vigo. These stadiums had been considered before but were not chosen because of a limit on the total number of stadiums per tournament.
| Country | City | Stadium | Capacity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco |
Agadir | Adrar Stadium | 46,000 (after renovation) |
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| Casablanca | Hassan II Stadium | 115,000 (new) |
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| Fez | Fez Stadium | 55,800 (after renovation) |
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| Marrakesh | Marrakesh Stadium | 45,860 (after renovation) |
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| Rabat | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium | 69,500
(new) |
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| Tangier | Ibn Batouta Stadium | 75,500
(after renovation) |
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| Portugal |
Lisbon | Estádio da Luz | 68,100 |  |
| Estádio José Alvalade | 52,095 |  |
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| Porto | Estádio do Dragão | 50,033 |  |
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| Spain |
Barcelona | Camp Nou | 105,000 (after renovation) |
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| RCDE Stadium | 40,500 |  |
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| Bilbao | Estadio de San Mamés | 53,331 |  |
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| Las Palmas | Estadio de Gran Canaria | 44,500 (after renovation) |
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| Madrid | Bernabéu | 83,186 |  |
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| Estadio Metropolitano | 70,692 |  |
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| San Sebastián | Estadio de Anoeta | 42,300 |  |
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| Seville | Estadio de La Cartuja | 70,000
(after renovation) |
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| Valencia | Nou Mestalla | 70,044 (new) |
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| Vigo | Estadio de Balaídos | 44,000 (after renovation) |
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| Zaragoza | Estadio Nueva Romareda | 43,110 (new) |
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Three South American cities were also chosen to host the three special centenary matches.
| Country | City | Stadium | Capacity | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
Buenos Aires | Estadio Monumental | 100,000 (after renovation) |
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 Paraguay |
Asunción | Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb | 46,000 (new) |
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 Uruguay |
Montevideo | Estadio Centenario | 62,782 (after renovation) |
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Teams and How They Qualify
All six host countries automatically get a spot in the World Cup.
Morocco (co-host)
New Qualification Rules
Two football regions have announced new ways for their teams to qualify for this World Cup:
CONCACAF Qualification Rules
On February 6, 2026, CONCACAF (for North, Central America, and Caribbean teams) announced their new qualification plan.
- Round 1: The 22 teams ranked 14th to 35th will play against each other in home-and-away matches. The 11 winners move to the next round.
- Round 2: The top 13 ranked teams will join the 11 winners from Round 1. They will form six groups of four teams, playing each other home and away. The top two teams from each group will go to the final round.
- Final Round: The 12 teams that advanced from Round 2 will be split into three groups of four. Each team plays home-and-away matches. The top two teams from each group will go straight to the World Cup. The two best third-place teams will go to a special 'Play-in' round.
- Play-in: The two teams in the Play-in will play each other home-and-away. The winner will then play in the FIFA Intercontinental play-offs for a chance to qualify for the World Cup.
UEFA Qualification Rules
On May 20, 2026, UEFA (for European teams) announced a new qualification format. It is similar to their Champions League and Nations League competitions. A new two-level system was created. This means stronger teams will not always play much weaker teams, making games more exciting.
Under the new rules, the 36 highest-ranked countries will be in 'League 1', split into three groups of 12. Each team plays six games against different opponents. The best teams from each League 1 group will qualify directly for the World Cup. Other spots will be decided by play-offs. The remaining 18 lower-ranked countries will be in 'League 2', also in three groups.
Teams in both Leagues will play six home-and-away matches. The play-offs will include teams from both League 1 (who did not qualify directly) and the top teams from League 2. More details are coming later in 2026.
Watching and Sponsoring the World Cup
Broadcasting Rights
Many TV channels and companies around the world will show the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Here are some of them:
- China – CCTV
- Croatia – HRT
- Czech Republic – ČT, TV Nova
- Europe – EBU
- France – M6
- Germany – Magenta Sport
- Hungary – MTVA
- India – Zee
- Ireland – RTÉ
- Netherlands – NOS
- New Zealand – TVNZ
- Romania – Antena
- Slovakia – TV JOJ
- South Korea – JTBC
- Thailand – MONOMAX Sports
- United Kingdom – BBC, ITV
Sponsorship
Big companies help support the World Cup. They are called sponsors.
| FIFA partners | FIFA World Cup sponsors |
|---|---|
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See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 2030 para niños
