A 2030 World Cup on three continents in six countries – the Council of the world association FIFA has created a novelty in football with its surprising decision, which still has to be confirmed by Congress.
The opening game will take place in Uruguay, followed by two more games in Argentina and Paraguay. The rest of the tournament with 101 games will then be played in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
“In 2030, we will experience a unique global football footprint. Three continents: Africa, Europe and South America; and six countries: Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay, welcoming and uniting the world as they play football together , celebrating the 100th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup,” said the controversial FIFA President Gianni Infantino, enthusiastic about the decision, which, however, has consequences – also with a view to the 2034 finals:
Fans
In the worst case scenario, a team will have to play games in South America, Europe and Africa. This makes for time-consuming and expensive trips. It is also questionable whether these long distances will create a real football atmosphere in the countries. “FIFA is continuing its vicious circle of destruction against the biggest tournament in the world,” criticized the association of European football fans FSE on the news platform X (formerly Twitter).
Teams
The teams also face a logistical challenge, especially when it comes to the question of accommodation. In particular, the six teams that first have to play in South America are likely to face a tricky task.
Environment
In Qatar, FIFA advertised that the 2022 finals would be climate-neutral. For this she received a reprimand from the Swiss Fair Trade Commission (SLK) after there had been several complaints. The commission complained that FIFA had created the “false and misleading impression” that the World Cup in Qatar was already climate and CO2 neutral before and during the tournament. The tournament in Qatar took place in a very small space. This is different now. The long journeys for fans and teams alone are unlikely to benefit the environment.
WM 2034
The award in 2030 effectively paved the way for Saudi Arabia to host the event in 2034. Because the continents of Europe, South America and Africa are automatically out of the running due to the rotation principle. The North and Central America region is also out of the question, especially since the USA, Canada and Mexico are already hosting in 2026. FIFA has already stipulated that only representatives from Asia and Oceania are allowed to apply. In Oceania, only Australia would be a candidate, although the Summer Olympics will already take place in Brisbane in 2032. And China could host such a tournament in Asia. However, enthusiasm for football has declined sharply there. Japan and South Korea hosted the event in 2002.
Finance
The money machine continues to run for FIFA. Revenues of at least $11 billion are expected by 2026. It definitely won’t be any less after that. Ultimately, the World Cup will be held with 48 instead of 32 teams from 2026. And Saudi Arabia will certainly continue to invest heavily in football with the prospect of winning the World Cup. The Club World Cup will take place there in 2023.
