Spain, Portugal and Morocco are set to co-host the 2030 men’s Fifa World Cup – with three South American nations hosting the tournament's opening matches to celebrate its centenary.
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay and host city of the first ever World Cup finals match in 1930, is set to stage the opening game of the tournament, with further home ties for Argentina and Paraguay to follow.
All six host countries will receive automatic qualification and the arrangement will see the tournament held across three continents for the first time.
The remainder of the 48-team competition will switch to north Africa and Europe, under a plan announced by Uefa, the Confederation of African Football and South American confederation Conmebol, which was accepted by the Fifa council at a meeting in Paraguay on Wednesday. The proposal is now subject to formal ratification by Fifa’s congress.
Meanwhile, within hours of the 2030 hosting arrangements being announced, Saudi Arabia launched its bid to secure 2034 hosting rights.
With the 2026 finals heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico and this latest tournament award, it was confirmed by Fifa that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for 2034.
Saudi Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said in a statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency: “Hosting a Fifa World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation.
“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a Fifa World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”
Uruguay has long been thought of as a likely host with the 2030 tournament taking place 100 years after they hosted and won the maiden competition. Argentina's hosting duties are recognition of the fact they were beaten finalists in 1930 and Paraguay are included as the traditional home of Conmebol.
If the 2030 proposal is ratified, Morocco would become only the second African nation to host World Cup finals matches, after South Africa in 2010.
Portugal have never hosted a World Cup before, while Spain last hosted in 1982. A joint South American bid had looked set to compete with a Spain-Portugal-Morocco proposal for the right to host, but the respective federations worked together to produce this compromise.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI welcomed Fifa's decision. The nation stunned the world in Qatar last year when they reached the semi-finals.
"His Majesty King Mohammed VI ... has the great pleasure of announcing to the Moroccan people that the Fifa Council has unanimously selected the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidate to organise the 2030 football World Cup," Morocco's Royal Office said in a statement.
The World Cup will thus return to the Mena region after the successful hosting of the 2022 edition in Qatar where Lionel Messi guided Argentina to the title after a pulsating final against France.
Pedro Rocha, president of the management committee of the Spanish Football Federation, said they were delighted to bring the tournament back to the country.
"I am sure that together with Morocco and Portugal we will organise the best World Cup in history," said Rocha.
Fernando Gomes, the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, said: "Each of our countries brings a vibrant footballing tradition, unrivalled organisational experience and a capacity for innovation that will undoubtedly leave its mark on the future of the competition."
Fifa president Gianni Infantino praised the global reach that the tournament will enjoy.
"In a divided world, Fifa and football are uniting," he said. "The Fifa Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the Fifa World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way.
"In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents - Africa, Europe and South America - six countries - Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay - welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the Fifa World Cup."
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
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Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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