When & Where is the 2030 FIFA World Cup? Schedule, Dates, Host venues, Cities, Stadiums

FIFA officially announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men’s World Cup, while the centennial 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will each host a single match to honor the tournament's history.

The decisions for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, made with minimal competition, were confirmed prior to the Extraordinary FIFA Congress, where President Gianni Infantino formalized the plans.

Following the groundbreaking 2026 World Cup hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the 2030 event will span three continents for the first time. Uruguay’s inclusion pays homage to the inaugural World Cup in 1930, where the nation claimed victory and Argentina finished as runner-up. Paraguay’s participation reflects its status as the headquarters of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

Spain will welcome the World Cup back for the first time since 1982, while Morocco, Portugal, and Paraguay are set to debut as hosts. Notably, Morocco will become the first North African country to host the tournament, marking the continent’s second time, following South Africa in 2010.

In 2034, the tournament will return to the Middle East, 12 years after Qatar hosted in 2022. However, Saudi Arabia faces similar challenges, including concerns over human rights, environmental sustainability, extreme weather, scheduling logistics, and the preparation of infrastructure and stadiums over the next decade.

Who is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034.?

Football’s world governing body, FIFA, confirmed Saudi Arabia as the host country for the 2034 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday.

With the tournament still a decade away, here is all to know about the 2034 edition of largest sporting event on the planet.

When is the 2034 FIFA World Cup?

FIFA has only announced the host country for this tournament, and details such as dates, teams, and schedules will be revealed later.

However, it is possible that, like the Qatar World Cup, the Saudi Arabia tournament will take place in December due to the country’s extreme summer temperatures, which can reach up to 43°C.

What time of year will Saudia FIFA World Cup 2034 happen?

It appears almost inevitable that the 2034 World Cup cannot be held in June and July, the months in which the tournament is typically played. All the indications are that, as in Qatar in 2022, the event will have to be staged during the northern hemisphere’s winter, in the middle of most European club seasons.

While the World Cup took place in November and December in Qatar - another nation awarded the event despite human rights concerns - it is being widely reported that the Saudi tournament may be held in January and February 2034.

Is Saudi Arabia the first nation to stage a FIFA World Cup in the region?

Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbours Qatar staged the 2022 edition.

How many nations will take part and where will the matches be played?

The FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia will see the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single host country.

Matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and Neom.

What are the Host Cities Venues & Venues for the 2034 FIFA World Cup?

Saudi Arabia will host 104 matches across two main cities: Riyadh and Jeddah. Other locations under consideration include Al-Khubar, Abha, and Neom.

The opening and closing matches are planned for the King Salman International Stadium.

The 104 games will all be staged in Saudi and the vast majority of those will come in just two cities. Although Al Khobar, Abha and Neom have been named as host cities, capital city Riyadh and Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea, will be home to 12 of the 15 stadiums used.

Riyadh, with a population twice the size of Qatar’s, will have eight venues, including the 92,000-capacity King Salman International Stadium. Named after the father of Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and current ruler of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, it will host the opening ceremony and final.

How many teams will be there at 2034 FIFA World Cup?

From 2026, the number of competing nations at World Cups will be raised from 32 to 48. The same format will extend to 2030 and 2034, giving another 16 teams the opportunity to qualify.

That will mean a lot of action. The 12 groups of four teams each will see us watch 72 games before we even get to the knockout stages, with the eventual winners playing eight times.

Saudi Arabia gets record score despite FIFA’s “human rights” concerns

Although FIFA has flagged Saudi Arabia’s lack of transparency over human rights in the country, the kingdom’s World Cup bid received the highest ever mark in the global governing body’s evaluation report - 4.2 out of 5.

In its report, which characterized Saudi Arabia’s human rights risk as “medium”, FIFA also noted concerns over the country’s stadiums, as most of its 15 planned arenas are yet to be built, as well as its transport network and its accommodation infrastructure, with the tournament requiring the construction of 175,000 new hotel rooms.

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