Asunción, Agencia IP.- Paraguay will be part of the historic organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, a tournament that will commemorate the centenary of the world’s premier football competition and, for the first time, will be held across six countries on three continents: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
This commemorative edition of the World Cup will combine the main host venues in Europe and Africa with historic venues in South America, where the competition was born in 1930. Paraguay will therefore join Argentina and Uruguay as one of the host nations responsible for launching the tournament’s centennial celebrations.
A World Cup with an unprecedented hosting format
The structure approved by FIFA distinguishes between main host nations and centenary host nations.
Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will host the majority of the tournament, including the group stage, knockout rounds, and the final.
Meanwhile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will stage the opening matches involving their respective national teams, as well as commemorative events honoring the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup, held in Montevideo in 1930.
This format will allow South America to retain a symbolic and prominent role in an intercontinental edition of the FIFA World Cup.
The official format includes 48 national teams
The official format approved by FIFA currently features 48 national teams, divided into 12 groups of four, a model that will also be used in future World Cups.
However, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) is still considering a proposal to expand the centenary tournament to 64 national teams.
If approved, the competition would be organized into 16 groups, significantly increasing the total number of matches.
Expansion proposal would strengthen South America’s role
One of the main changes that a 64-team format would bring would be a greater role for Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as host nations.
While the official format limits these three countries to hosting only the opening matches and commemorative ceremonies, the proposal promoted by CONMEBOL would allow each nation to host entire groups and all matches corresponding to those groups during the first stage of the tournament.
In this scenario, Paraguay could host a substantially larger number of official matches, expanding the sporting, tourism, and economic impact of the event.
Paraguay to help launch a global celebration
FIFA has already confirmed that Paraguay will officially serve as one of the host nations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, alongside Argentina and Uruguay, to inaugurate the celebrations marking the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Following the opening events in South America, the competition will continue in the main host nations of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, where the remainder of the tournament, including the final, will be played.
Hosting part of the 2030 FIFA World Cup represents a historic opportunity for Paraguay to strengthen its international visibility, enhance its sports and tourism infrastructure, and position the country before millions of football fans worldwide during one of the most significant sporting celebrations in the game’s history.