Gianni Infantino picked Morocco to deliver one of his warmest messages yet. Attending the Throne Day celebrations hosted by King Mohammed VI in the coastal city of M’diq, the FIFA president said he felt “at home” in the Kingdom and made clear his delight at seeing Morocco co-host the 2030 World Cup, the tournament’s centenary edition. The state agency Maghreb Arab Press carried his remarks on 31 July 2026, and they land at a moment when every FIFA signal towards a host nation is read closely.
What Infantino actually said in M’diq
“I am at home in this great country, the Kingdom of Morocco, to take part in the Throne Day celebrations,” the FIFA president said, according to Maghreb Arab Press. He was speaking on the sidelines of the official reception presided over by King Mohammed VI in M’diq, on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
Infantino then turned to the 2030 World Cup, expressing his satisfaction at Morocco’s role in staging the centenary edition. Attending a national holiday with no fixture attached to it is a deliberate act: it signals institutional closeness rather than routine tournament business.
With under four years to go, statements like this function as a progress report. FIFA has offered no public criticism of Moroccan preparations, and the president’s presence reinforces that.
How the 2030 World Cup will work
The 2030 World Cup will be staged mainly across Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with three opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay marking 100 years since the first World Cup was played in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA’s Congress ratified the arrangement in December 2024.
The tournament will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, the format introduced in 2026. That makes 2030 the first World Cup spread across three continents and six countries, an unprecedented logistical exercise that FIFA still has to explain in detail, particularly the travel schedule for teams involved in the South American openers.
Morocco’s venue programme covers Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir and Fez, headlined by the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane, with an announced capacity of around 115,000 and an open ambition to stage the final.
The England angle: no bid, but plenty at stake
England is not part of the 2030 hosting picture. The Football Association’s attention has been on UEFA Euro 2028, which the United Kingdom and Ireland will co-host, with Wembley expected to take the marquee fixtures. The UK is also the front-runner to stage the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
That leaves 2030 as a straightforward away tournament for England, though a friendly one by modern standards. Spain, Portugal and Morocco all sit within two hours of British time, which means evening kick-offs for domestic audiences rather than the late-night scheduling of a North American tournament.
Squad-wise, the timeline is favourable. Jude Bellingham will be 26 in the summer of 2030 and Cole Palmer 28, with the current under-21 group arriving at peak age. For the FA, the four-year cycle beginning now is about managing that handover rather than rebuilding from scratch.
Morocco’s rise and its Premier League ties
Morocco’s standing was transformed in 2022, when they became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final, beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal along the way before losing to France. That run turned Moroccan players into permanent fixtures on European recruitment lists.
The Premier League has been a direct beneficiary. Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui is among the Atlas Lions regulars in England, while Moroccan internationals have featured across the division in recent seasons. The Mohammed VI Academy in Salé continues to feed that pipeline.
Morocco has also hosted the Africa Cup of Nations, giving organisers a full-scale rehearsal in transport, ticketing and security. For FIFA, that track record is the practical reason Infantino can speak about 2030 with confidence, and the political reason he keeps returning to Rabat.
FAQ
What did Infantino say about Morocco?
The FIFA president said he was ‘at home’ in the Kingdom of Morocco while attending Throne Day celebrations presided over by King Mohammed VI in M’diq, and expressed his delight at Morocco co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.
Which countries are hosting the 2030 World Cup?
Morocco, Spain and Portugal will stage the bulk of the tournament. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay each host one opening match to mark the centenary of the first World Cup in 1930.
Why is 2030 called the centenary World Cup?
The inaugural World Cup was played in Uruguay in 1930, with the final at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. The 2030 edition marks 100 years of the competition, hence the three symbolic South American fixtures.
Is England hosting any part of the 2030 World Cup?
No. England is not a 2030 host. The United Kingdom and Ireland will co-host UEFA Euro 2028, and the UK is the leading candidate to stage the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
How many teams will play at the 2030 World Cup?
Forty-eight teams and 104 matches, the same format used from 2026, split between venues in Morocco, Spain and Portugal plus the three opening games in South America.
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