The process of choosing a World Cup venue is not easy at all. The so-called “FIFA Standard” could easily be circumvented, depending on the political and financial variables of that period. On June 7, 2015, we learned that Qatar will host the 2022 edition of the biggest football tournament on the planet.
There were complaints of bribery and criticism of the conditions of those who built the new stadiums, for example. But there was no way. In the dispute against Australia, South Korea, the United States and Japan, the peninsula state in the Middle East took the lead. And what do we know about the following editions?
World Cup 2026
Well, now we have important news for the 2026 World Cup: It’s the first that three countries have hosted – The United States, Mexico, and Canada. Morocco was the loser in the dispute. The number of teams is also increasing with 48 teams. There will be 16 groups of three, with the first two groups progressing to the next.
World Cup 2030
For the 2030 World Cup, the selection process is still ongoing. South America should have a show featuring Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Spanish newspaper Marca announced that Europe will have one joint bid with Spain and Portugal. The United Kingdom and Ireland have withdrawn from the competition and will focus on Euro 2028.
As for Africa, Morocco has to compete again. In Asia, China should be one of the strong contenders, but only in the event of a change in the rules, because, at Qatar’s expense, an Asian country can only host the tournament from 2034 onwards. The result, through a vote among FIFA-linked countries, should only be released in 2024.
The scenario of the competition on the territory of South America would be full of symbolism. It will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup that was held in Uruguay.
World Cup 2034
For the 2034 World Cup, China will not face any hurdles under FIFA’s rules to host the tournament, making it a strong candidate. There is also the possibility of joint candidacy between Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, there are no more in-depth discussions about the other candidates.
