2030 World Cup Host Betting Odds

The controversial selection of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup has created much debate and criticism but hasn’t detracted too much from the entertainment on the pitch. The 2026 renewal should at least prove smoother from a political standpoint, with events set to take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

FIFA always like to organise their biggest showpiece well in advance, and thoughts are now already turning towards who will host the World Cup in 2030. Marking 100 years since the inaugural World Cup of 1930, FIFA will no doubt be keen to get this decision right as they celebrate a century of the greatest footballing show on earth.

The Bidding Process Has Begun

The official bidding process for the rights to host the 2030 edition began in the second quarter of 2022 before the current edition of the competition even kicked off. In reality, many nations had been making plans to launch a bid well in advance of that date, with Argentina and Uruguay, England, Morocco, Egypt, Spain, and others expressing an early interest in the tournament.

There has however been a slight spanner thrown in the works, with FIFA’s decision to expand the competition from 32 to 48 teams – a development which has resulted in a number of single-nation bids instead looking to join forces with other countries to propose a joint bid.

As we head into 23, the list of concrete bids is now beginning to take shape. Any applicants must then undergo a two-year vetting process to determine the viability of their bid. An extensive ballot process will then follow, with the result of the final vote set to be announced at the 74th FIFA Congress in 2024. At that point the winning bid will be announced, leaving the successful nation, or nations, with six years to prepare.

The Main Contenders: Confirmed Bids

Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay

The first nations to throw their hats into the ring were Uruguay and Argentina, who announced plans for a joint bid back in 2017. Paraguay proposed to join the party only a few months later, with Chile being added in 2019.

The infrastructure base provided by four nations would appear to give this bid a solid foundation, particularly as Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile have all hosted the tournament individually in the past. The selection of Uruguay in the centenary year would also appear rather fitting, as it was Uruguay who hosted the very first World Cup back in 1930.

Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine

Having teamed up with unsuccessful bids for both the 2018 and 2022 editions, Spain and Ukraine return for another crack. Spain’s credentials speak for themselves, having hosted the competition in 1982, whilst Portugal showed they could lay on a major tournament when hosting Euro 2004. Ukraine has experience in this sphere too having jointly hosted the European Championships with Poland in 2012.

The major question here of course is the current situation in war-torn Ukraine. Only scheduled to host one of the Groups at the tournament – a total of just three games – stability in the nation is not pivotal to Spain and Portugal’s ability to stage the tournament, but would certainly make things a bit easier. On the plus side, if Ukraine is in a better position by the time the decision in 2024, they may attract a share of votes as a gesture of support.

Morocco

Whilst Spain and Portugal have failed with two bids recently, you have to feel for Morocco who have been turned down on no fewer than five occasions. Undeterred, the Moroccans are back for more and announced their willingness to host the tournament back in 2018.

The fact that Africa has only once been selected to stage the tournament – South Africa in 2010 – may count in their favour, as FIFA will no doubt be desperate to avoid any accusations of bias against the continent. One negative however could result from the $16billion in investment that it may take to make the nation World Cup-ready. A single bid at present, there are rumours that Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia uniting with Morocco for a joint African bid.

Likely Winners

Other bids may yet emerge. South Korea and China have expressed an interest but may be up against it with the fellow Asian nation of Qatar staging this year’s event. There are also rumours of joint bids from Cameroon, Tunisia and Algeria, and Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. However, they would appear to be behind the respective African and South American bids mentioned above.

As things stand, it appears that the Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine bid may be the most likely to succeed. It is however far from clear cut, with the general odds available on the three main bids being:

• Spain, Portugal and Ukraine - 2/1
• Morocco - 11/4
• Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay - 11/2