Before the start of the qualifiers... 6 national teams secure their spots in the 2030 World Cup

Six teams from three continents have secured their places in the 2030 FIFA World Cup finals before the official qualifiers even begin, taking advantage of the hosting arrangements for the centennial edition of the tournament, which celebrates 100 years since the first World Cup was held.

Morocco, Spain, and Portugal have automatically qualified for the finals as co-hosts of the joint bid, in accordance with FIFA regulations, which grant automatic entry to host nations.

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An exceptional decision by FIFA also granted qualification to Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, after each country was selected to host an opening match in celebration of the centenary of the first edition, which took place in Montevideo in 1930.

Following the opening matches, the rest of the tournament will move to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, making these six teams the first to officially qualify for the centennial edition.

Discussions are underway within FIFA circles regarding the possibility of increasing the number of participating teams in the 2030 World Cup to 64, instead of 48, which would make it the largest and most widely participated tournament in World Cup history.

Spain won the 2026 World Cup title, defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final match.