Four South American Countries Competing for the 2030 World Cup…in a three-way race for joint attraction.

The 2030 World Cup maintenance match is expected to be held in a competitive structure in which European, South American, and Middle Eastern countries will jointly host the event.

Sports ministers and soccer associations from four South American countries, including Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, held a joint press conference at the Argentine Essay on the 7th and declared that they would seek to co-host the 2030 World Cup, saying, “We should return to where the World Cup began.”

Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL), said, “FIFA must hold the 2030 tournament here to celebrate the birth of the World Cup.”

As the 1930 World Cup, the first ever World Cup, was held in Uruguay, four South American countries argue that the 100th anniversary tournament should also be held in South America.

Prior to this, Europe, which is dominating the soccer world, challenged.

Spain and Portugal, rivals on the Iberian Peninsula and soccer powerhouses, announced in June last year that they would co-host the 2030 World Cup. Spain and Portugal are seeking to invite Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, as an invited host.

Spain and Portugal, which have solid status in the soccer world, are building a cause for the event by advocating the reconstruction of Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia.

The Middle East, which hosted the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is trying to hold another World Cup with oil money.

Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt, a Middle Eastern country, is seeking to co-host the World Cup by attracting Greece, a European country. Saudi Arabia began its box office drive early by recruiting world-class soccer star Ronaldo to the Saudi League to host the World Cup.

The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup is the only co-hosting case in 22 World Cups until last year. With the number of participating countries increasing from 32 to 48 from 2026, the 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As the number of participating countries increases, the number and cost of games increase, so it may be difficult for one country to play all World Cup games. Some predict that co-hosting will be essential in the future in order to reduce the cost burden.