World Cup 2030

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

"Spain, Morocco and Portugal will host the World Cup, but the opening matches will be played... in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay!

Opening matches:
Argentina
Paraguay
Uruguay

Rest of the competition:
Morocco
Spain
Portugal

3 continents and 6 countries will be involved"

Utter madness. You can almost guarantee 2034 will be in Saudi, too

[MWHIBBIES]

Just mental. Dunno what they're smoking at FIFA

[leithsansiro]

"Spain, Morocco and Portugal will host the World Cup, but the opening matches will be played... in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay!

Opening matches:
Argentina
Paraguay
Uruguay

Rest of the competition:
Morocco
Spain
Portugal

3 continents and 6 countries will be involved"

Utter madness. You can almost guarantee 2034 will be in Saudi, too


Eh? What on earth is the point or justification for that nonsense? It's almost like someone found two torn up bits of paper and hastily glued them back together before nipping off for a quick pint.
"Aye, that'll do lads. This will work out just great. Drinks...?"

[James Stephen]

I think Fifa are quite threatened by a South America / Europe axis, which has grown stronger as fifa has concentrated in less developed parts of fitba world.

I suspect this is a sop to both confeds to keep them happy

[Pagan Hibernia]

Oh just f*#* off fifa.

The world cup as we know and love it is dead.

[Pretty Boy]

Morocco, Spain and Portugal makes sense with the expanded criteria for hosting now.

A joint bid in South America likewise.

Combining the 2 is just ****ing mental. Fans getting served pints in compostable cups to be 'environmentally responsible' whilst multiple teams and fans take additional flights across the Atlantic for no ****ing reason at all.

[The Baldmans Comb]

It's hardly a big deal giving 3 matches to Argentina, Uroguay and Paraguay given the other 101 matches out of 104 games will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Quite a nice nod to history as well and it shouldn't be to difficult to involve South American teams in the 3 opening games though you can imagine the outcry if its a European team in opposition but it should be easy enough to bribe/recompense one of the diddy African nations.

Automatic qualification for all of the hosts as well so Paraguay must be laughing though the other South American teams places have been reduced from 6 to 3 teams in the qualifying group.

Really can't see this as anything to be all bothered about as Fifa are paying a wee sop to history but the real football will take place in countries that have the infrastructure to handle 48 countries and over 100 matches.

2034 and the World Cup goes back to Asia and we all know who is bidding for that one and then 2038 Oceania would seem to be FIFA's stated future pathway.

[DIXIHIBS]

It's hardly a big deal giving 3 matches to Argentina, Uroguay and Paraguay given the other 101 matches out of 104 games will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Quite a nice nod to history as well and it shouldn't be to difficult to involve South American teams in the 3 opening games though you can imagine the outcry if its a European team in opposition but it should be easy enough to bribe/recompense one of the diddy African nations.

Automatic qualification for all of the hosts as well so Paraguay must be laughing though the other South American teams places have been reduced from 6 to 3 teams in the qualifying group.

Really can't see this as anything to be all bothered about as Fifa are paying a wee sop to history but the real football will take place in countries that have the infrastructure to handle 48 countries and over 100 matches.

2034 and the World Cup goes back to Asia and we all know who is bidding for that one and then 2038 Oceania would seem to be FIFA's stated future pathway.

Its a big deal if your a fan who has to travel to south america to watch your team for 1 game, then back to europe for the next 2!! Also 6 teams qualify as hosts...ridiculous decision.

[Smartie]

Its a big deal if your a fan who has to travel to south america to watch your team for 1 game, then back to europe for the next 2!! Also 6 teams qualify as hosts...ridiculous decision.

Those people haven't mattered for a long time.

The more they cater to the armchair fan, the more fans who turn up to these events will choose to become armchair fans.

Let's face it, they won't be short of football tourists who are prepared to pay through the nose to attend these games. The "atmosphere" can be manipulated as needed to improve the "experience" for the armchair fans.

Modern football is rubbish.

[neil7908]

I really struggled with Qatar hosting the last World Cup but Saudi getting it would be an absolute disgrace.

This being FIFA though, it's guaranteed. I couldn't bring myself to watch that one.

[Speedy]

Morocco, Spain and Portugal makes sense with the expanded criteria for hosting now.

A joint bid in South America likewise.

Combining the 2 is just ****ing mental. Fans getting served pints in compostable cups to be 'environmentally responsible' whilst multiple teams and fans take additional flights across the Atlantic for no ****ing reason at all.

I believe those two bids were the only ones.

I'd had Uruguay and co as favourites given the centenary. But there were concerns about whether South America could afford it.

They've obviously split the difference to keep everyone happy.

Piss take for the travelling fans. And the other qualifying teams.

[Musselbound]

Its a big deal if your a fan who has to travel to south america to watch your team for 1 game, then back to europe for the next 2!! Also 6 teams qualify as hosts...ridiculous decision.

Yeah. Not to mention are some teams going to play in South America then fly halfway round the world for their next game? Surely a disadvantage.

[Trinity Hibee]

Just mental. Dunno what they're smoking at FIFA

Probably the same stuff Klopp is smoking

[danhibees1875]

Its a big deal if your a fan who has to travel to south america to watch your team for 1 game, then back to europe for the next 2!! Also 6 teams qualify as hosts...ridiculous decision.

I don't think qualifying as hosts is a given anymore with these new-fangled multi-host entries.

[Eyrie]

I don't think qualifying as hosts is a given anymore with these new-fangled multi-host entries.

The World Cup is expanding to 48 teams so there is plenty of room for multiple hosts.

[DIXIHIBS]

I don't think qualifying as hosts is a given anymore with these new-fangled multi-host entries.

Unfortunately there is 6 hosts guaranteed a place.

[Forza Fred]

FIFA are blowing the World Cup balloon up so hard that it might just burst.

Sort of decision you get from a committee……..try to please everyone and end up pleasing no one.

[Baader]

More hosts = more kickbacks for FIFA. They really are an utter disgrace. No interest whatsoever in protecting the world game and its legacy. Corrupt beyond belief.

Carbon footprint for this will be horrific. Not really the model any sport is trying to move towards.

[Mark05]

I really struggled with Qatar hosting the last World Cup but Saudi getting it would be an absolute disgrace.

This being FIFA though, it's guaranteed. I couldn't bring myself to watch that one.
I always said if Scotland qualified for Qatar I wouldn't go,even though I told the wife I'm going to the next one Scotland qualify for and it will be the same if the Saudi,s get it in 2034.I couldn't tell my three daughters I'm going to these places to watch football.I think my morals are different than Fifa

[J-C]

The 3 games in S America is to celebrate 100 years if the world cup.

[DIXIHIBS]

The 3 games in S America is to celebrate 100 years if the world cup.

Then give them the world cup. Dont give it to europe/africa and play a few game in south america. In the long list of FIFA mistakes...this is right up there. Dont give a toss about players/fans....money first.

[Pagan Hibernia]

With the 2026 and 2030 editions, and the sheer size of the tournament these days I would guess we've seen the last of the one country world cups

48 teams is already hugely bloated and they won't stop there, they'll just keep expanding it until its unworkable as an isolated tournament and it will end up just being played all over the world all of the time

[Renfrew_Hibby]

I think Fifa really wanted to give this tournament to South America but unfortunately the sheer cost made it a non starter in reality.

River Plates Monumental has recently undergone a partial rebuild at a cost of millions, this should now mean that the second phase is completed.

It will also mean that the iconic and truly historic Estadio Centenario should earn a well deserved rebuild.

The decision to include Paraguay seems a bit odd as I would have rebuilt Bocas ground and made that the third venue but I think Conmebol (South Americas Uefa) is headquartered in Paraguay.

Having said that money talks and Saudi and Fifa have colluded to serve up this mish mash

[Stairway 2 7]

This is just to bump a South American or African bid for 2034. Argentina said they would go for 2034 with others if they lost to Spain and Co, now they can't. If 2030 had been in one continent then Saudi would have to wait until 2042

@kenbensinger
15h
1st FIFA announces the 2030 World Cup will be played on 3 (!) continents. Per FIFA rules, no continent can have two consecutive WCs. Hours later, Saudi Arabia announces its intention to bid for the 2034 World Cup. What a coincidence! Almost as if it had been planned that way

1 game apiece in Argentina, Paraguay & Uruguay. Chile gets zilch. Then entire tournament moves to Spain, Portugal & Morocco. FIFA rules also mean N America (CONCACAF) can't bid in 2034 because of the US/MX/CANADA hosting in 2026.

So it's down to just Asia and Oceania. Lunacy

[SHODAN]

I really struggled with Qatar hosting the last World Cup but Saudi getting it would be an absolute disgrace.

This being FIFA though, it's guaranteed. I couldn't bring myself to watch that one.

If Saudi Arabia get a World Cup I will not watch it. That's the red line for me.