SBS NEWS

News > Sports

FIFA Begins Inspections for 2030 World Cup Hosts Spain, Portugal, and Morocco

Kim Hyeong-yeol

Published : Oct 28, 2026 7:40 AM


The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has launched on-site inspections of candidate cities in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup.

According to a Reuters report on the 27th (local time), FIFA plans to dispatch inspection delegations in November and December to directly visit candidate cities and stadiums in these three countries to evaluate their suitability for hosting World Cup matches.

The inspection targets include a total of 15 cities: 7 cities in Spain including Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville; 6 cities in Morocco including Casablanca and Rabat; and 2 cities in Portugal including Lisbon and Porto.

FIFA added that additional visits may be conducted depending on the selection process.

Amid a fierce bidding war between Spain and Morocco to host the final match of football's biggest event, FIFA has not yet finalized the venue for the final.

The number of matches to be allocated to each stadium and the tournament schedule will be determined after the final list of host cities is confirmed.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, the opening three matches of the 2030 tournament will first be held in three South American countries: Uruguay, the host of the inaugural 1930 tournament, along with Argentina and Paraguay.

Following this, the remaining schedule will move to venues across the three countries of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, much like the 2026 North American tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.