Following the 2026 World Cup which will be held across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the 2030 World Cup is set to be hosted by three continents.
Africa, South America, and Europe will be represented by Morocco, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, and Spain in the World Cup’s centenary year. The full tournament will not be spread across all of these continents with just the first three games taking place in South America.
The tournament is set to kick off in Montevideo’s Estádio Centenário. This is where the first final took place in 1930 with hosts Uruguay beating Argentina 4-2.
Portugal, Spain, and Morocco were named the co-hosts of the tournament with the rest of the games being played across the three nations.
It won’t be the first time multiple hosts have held major tournaments with Euro 2020 celebrating its 60th anniversary by being played across 11 nations. Euro 2028 also looks like it will be held across the UK and Ireland following Turkey’s decision to drop out of the running.
However, the controversial plans for the 2030 World Cup have been met with scepticism with many questioning how it may affect the teams starting in South America before travelling thousands of miles to Europe and North Africa.
Switching between hemispheres will see teams having to get used to playing in different seasons and facing the negative effects of long air travel. This could impact the chances teams have to progress from their groups.
The betting odds for this tournament are a few years away, but when the fixtures are announced, bettors will be taking this into consideration when looking at teams’ odds at the bookmakers listed on this site.
If the teams involved are from South America, this may benefit them as they will only have one journey to make before continuing the tournament. However, not having the chance to get used to the conditions in Europe and North Africa could work against them.
Host nations typically have a better chance of performing well because they know what to expect from the climate and have the home support behind them. Multiple hosts could disrupt this and also impact betting odds.
Another reason that this idea hasn’t been welcomed with open arms is that it takes some of the magic away from the tournament. For years, communities would open their arms to visiting countries that would set up bases there and the host country would enjoy a wonderful atmosphere for the tournament.
Many believe that spreading the tournament across multiple countries takes away some of the magic. There is also the environmental impact of teams and fans having to travel to so many different countries to consider.
News that Saudi Arabia is set to bid to be the sole host of the 2034 World Cup is likely to spark even more debate with many believing that money is the major factor in how decisions are made, with footballing integrity and fans being ignored.
