Morocco, Portugal and Spain Reveal Plans and Identity for FIFA World Cup 2030 Bid

The combined bid of Morocco, Portugal and Spain have released advanced plans for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which would be the first time the men’s event is held on two continents.

Senior representatives of the Bid Committee provided insight on the bid at a media event held at the headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation in Oeiras. The bid’s slogan is YallaVamos, representing the goal to proactively grow the game across the globe.

“In a world undergoing rapid and profound transformation, football cannot be left behind,” said Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Football Federation. “It must maintain its core essence while adapting to change, evolving and innovating, particularly in terms of sustainability. The 2030 World Cup will therefore bring together the rich memory of the competition and the innovation and invention of the future.”

FIFA announced the proposed and all-but-official 2030 World Cup bid in October of last year. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one game before the rest of the tournament heads to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. All six countries will qualify automatically for the tournament, which will in 2026 be held across North America with 48 teams competing.

Key strengths of the bid were elaborated on throughout the event, including infrastructure, short travel times and passion of the host countries for soccer. The bid also announced its first ambassadors, featuring a legend from each nation — Luis Figo, Andres Iniesta and Nourredine Naybet.

“We want to mark the future with a unique World Cup,” said Fernando Sanz, Royal Spanish Football Federation Bid Committee member. “With modern facilities for players and fans, a compact tournament with short travel distances, we are sure that fans will have a unique experience in our three countries.”

In line with FIFA regulations, the next step of the process comes with the formal bid submission in July ahead of a vote of the FIFA Congress later this year. Spain previously hosted the World Cup in 1982 while Morocco’s role will make it the second African country to host World Cup matches after South Africa in 2010. It will be the first time World Cup matches are held in Portugal.

“Today marks an important milestone in the historic bid of our three countries,” said Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. “By working together every day with our Portuguese and Spanish counterparts, we are demonstrating the value of collaboration and teamwork, and we are convinced that the world of football will benefit from it.”