Six teams secure early qualification for 2030 World Cup centenary edition

Six national teams representing three continents have secured early qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup finals, as part of preparations for the centenary edition of the tournament, which will celebrate 100 years since the inaugural World Cup.

Morocco, Spain, and Portugal have all booked automatic places in the finals as host nations, in line with FIFA regulations that grant direct qualification to countries hosting the tournament.

FIFA has also made an exceptional decision to grant Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay automatic qualification, after awarding each country the right to host one opening match in honor of the centenary of the first World Cup, which took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930. The remainder of the tournament will be held in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.

With this decision, these six teams have become the first to officially qualify for the centenary edition of the World Cup, as discussions continue within FIFA about increasing the number of participating teams from 48 to 64—a proposal that could make the 2030 tournament the largest and most inclusive in the competition's history.

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