Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will automatically qualify for the 2030 World Cup as host countries along with Morocco, Spain and Portugal

A qualifying ticket for each host country. Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, who will host three of the 104 matches of the 2030 World Cup, will also benefit from the direct qualification granted to the main host countries, such as Morocco, Spain and Portugal, said Thursday 5 October FIFA. If the intercontinental formula unveiled on Wednesday validates all the technical criteria until its final adoption at the end of 2024, the tournament will therefore start with six teams automatically qualified out of the 48 participating selections, an unprecedented proportion.

Expansion to six countries

Fifa had only mentioned this direct ticket for the three official candidates to host the competition, namely Morocco, Spain and Portugal, but clarified Thursday to AFP that the three South American selections would also benefit from it. With the increase from 32 to 48 selections, starting from the 2026 World Cup organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico, “three of six places” allocated to the South American zone are therefore already taken. There will be added a final ticket contested during an intercontinental play-off, detailed a spokesperson for the body.

Triple world champion, Argentina has played in every final tournament since 1974, while Uruguay has been in every edition since 2010. Paraguay, on the other hand, has missed the last three World Cups, and its last participation dates back to 2010 ( quarter-finalist). The three countries, initially candidates alongside Chile to host the tournament, finally gave up in exchange for the organization of the first three matches and the festivities for the centenary of the World Cup, the first edition of which was played in Montevideo in 1930.