Even though the FIFA World Cup 2026 has only just concluded with Spain lifting the trophy after defeating Argentina in the final, attention has already shifted towards the 2030 edition.

Interestingly, three South American nations – Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – have already secured their places in the tournament, despite qualifying matches not yet being completed.

The reason lies in the unique structure of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the tournament.

FIFA World Cup 2030 Co-Hosts

The 2030 World Cup will primarily be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, who won the joint bid to stage the competition. However, FIFA has also decided to commemorate the centenary of the inaugural 1930 World Cup by staging three special opening matches in South America-one each in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Why have Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay Qualified?

Since all six nations are official hosts in some capacity, FIFA has granted automatic qualification to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

As a result, these countries will not participate in the regular qualification process for the 2030 World Cup. Their places will instead be deducted from their respective confederations’ allocation of qualification slots.

Uruguay’s inclusion carries special significance. The country hosted the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930 and also became the inaugural world champions by defeating Argentina in the final. To honour that historic achievement, Montevideo will host the official centenary celebration and one of the opening matches of the 2030 tournament.

Argentina was selected because it was the runner-up in the first World Cup and remains one of football’s most iconic nations, while Paraguay will host a centenary match in recognition of being the headquarters of CONMEBOL, the oldest continental football confederation.

Following the centenary fixtures in South America, the tournament will shift to Europe and Africa, where the remaining 101 matches-including the knockout rounds and the final – will be played across Spain, Portugal and Morocco. FIFA has also confirmed that the six automatically qualified teams will receive an extended break between their first and second group-stage matches to accommodate intercontinental travel. Also, there is a proposal of extending the number of teams to 64 for this edition, which may result in more matches in the next edition of the competition.