[Senator Clay Davis]

A unique 2030 World Cup is set to be played in Europe and Africa with the surprising addition of South America in a deal to allow the men's soccer tournament to start with a 100th birthday celebration in Uruguay.

FIFA reached an agreement Wednesday between soccer's continental leaders to accept only one candidate for hosting the 2030 tournament, the sport's governing body said.

The Spain-Portugal bid grew to add Morocco this year and now also includes longtime bid rivals Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

A key lure of the unprecedented three-continent project will be opening in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, where the Centenario Stadium hosted the inaugural 1930 World Cup final.

The FIFA Council's acceptance of a unified 2030 candidacy still needs formal approval next year at a meeting of the 211 member federations. That should be just a formality.

The 48-team, 104-game tournament scheduled for June-July 2030 is expected to start with games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay before the action moves to core host nations Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...2030-world-cup