Need to know

World Cup 2026 will soon come to an end and therefore some fans are already starting to look ahead to the next edition in 2030

World Cup 2026 is reaching its climax(Image: Getty)

Everything you need to know about World Cup 2030

1. End is near: World Cup 2026 is coming to an end and the winner will soon be decided. So some eager fans are already looking ahead to the next tournament. World Cup 2030 promises to be an unprecedented event that will rewrite the tournament's history books.
2. Unique global hosts: The primary host nations for the 2030 tournament will be Morocco, Portugal and Spain. This joint bid marks the first time a World Cup will be staged across two different continents, bridging Africa and Europe.
3. Centenary celebration matches: To commemorate 100 years since the very first World Cup in 1930, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host a single opening match, too. The historic opening game of the tournament will take place at the iconic Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the inaugural final was played.
4. The tournament timeline: The tournament is officially scheduled to run from June 8 to July 21, 2030. Lasting 44 days to allow for travel across continents, this will make it the longest and most geographically diverse World Cup in history.
5. An expanded field: Building on the 2026 format, the 2030 competition will feature 48 competing nations playing a total of 104 matches. These matches will be split among the main hosts, with Morocco proposing six host cities, Portugal offering two and Spain selecting nine.
6. The final venue: While the final location is still being contested, Spain and Morocco are the leading candidates to host it. The main contenders are Madrid's legendary Santiago Bernabéu and Morocco's planned, ultra-modern Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca.
7. Automatic tournament entry: All six of the host countries across the three continents will receive automatic qualification to the tournament. This means Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay are already qualified.
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