6 teams that guarantee direct qualification for the 2030 FIFA World  Cup

Official sports reports revealed that 6 teams have decided their direct qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, as host countries for this historic edition, which is held with the participation of 48 teams.

  The  list of qualifiers included Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which are hosting the tournament's centenary matches,  in a special edition to celebrate the centenary of the first World Football Championship in 1930 in Uruguay.‎

The opening matches will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the centenary of the World Cup, where these countries will host some group stage matches in honour of the historic role played by the South American region in the birth of the tournament.‎

Seat allocation and details of the global annex

The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has confirmed the mechanism for distributing the remaining seats to the continental federations.

Reports issued by the international organization indicated that the European continent obtained 16 seats, including Spain and Portugal, which automatically qualified, leaving 14 cards through the qualifiers, while Africa won 9 seats, including Morocco, which qualified directly, leaving 8 direct cards and a seat in the annex.

The sources added that South America has been allocated 6 seats, including 3 directly qualified teams, leaving 3 cards and a seat in the annex, while Asia has won 8 direct seats and a seat for the annex, North America has 6 seats and two seats for the annex, and Oceania has a direct seat and a seat for the annex.

FIFA officials said that six teams will compete in the World Intercontinental Annex to decide the last two seats in March 2030, with teams from Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania, and two teams from the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF).

The officials explained that the two teams in the top of the ranking will be exempted from the first round, while the other four teams will play two matches in a knockout system, with the two winners qualifying to meet the two ranked teams to determine the final two seats.

Continental Qualifiers and Stadiums

The football authorities reported that the start dates of the qualifiers vary from one continental federation to another, noting that the South American qualifiers are expected to start between late 2027 and the beginning of 2028, while the first rounds in Asia and Africa will begin during 2027.

Sports sources said that the European qualifiers will be held throughout 2029, before the two supplementary cards are finalized in early 2030.

As for stadiums, the sources said that Spain, Morocco and Portugal will host the bulk of the tournament's matches through a proposal of 20 stadiums between new facilities and others that have undergone development. Reports indicated that the opening centenary matches will be held at three historic stadiums: the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the Osvaldo Dominguez Depp Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, before the competitions move to the three main host countries.