Twenty-three. A record. With six host countries on three continents, the 2030 World Cup is already shaping up to be the largest in history in terms of the number of venues. Officially awarded by FIFA on Wednesday, December 11, to the trio Spain-Morocco-Portugal, with three centenary matches in South America, it will involve 23 stadiums. Spain will provide 11, Morocco six, Portugal three, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay one each. On the Spanish side, the 11 venues will be grouped together in nine different cities: Barcelona, Madrid, La Coruña, Malaga, Las Palmas, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Seville and Zaragoza. The first two will have two: the Camp Nou and the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. In Morocco, which is very well-equipped with a total of six stadiums, the matches will be played in Agadir, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. Five of the six selected stadiums will be renovated. The sixth, already named Stade Hassan-II, is to be built in El Mansouria, around thirty kilometres from Casablanca. It will have a capacity of 115.000 spectators. Portugal will have to make do with a more modest share, with three stadiums in Lisbon (Stade de la Luz and Stade José Alvalade), and Porto (Stade du Dragon). Finally, the three matches in South America are planned at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, and the Estadio Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb in Asuncion. With less than six years to go until the 2030 World Cup, FIFA has not yet announced the host city for the final. Barring a surprise scenario, the decision will be between the Camp Nou in Barcelona, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, and the future and colossal Hassan II Stadium north of Casablanca.
