SURPRISING TWIST: 2030 WORLD CUP TO SPAN THREE CONTINENTS, OPENING MATCHES GIFTED TO SOUTH AMERICA

The 2030 World Cup is set to be a truly international spectacle, with Morocco, Portugal, and Spain securing the rights to host the 48-team tournament. What's even more surprising is that the opening three matches have been handed over to Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.

This unprecedented decision has taken even the most seasoned FIFA enthusiasts by surprise. The 2030 World Cup will span three continents, involving teams playing in six countries, all of which will automatically qualify. It's a significant departure from tradition, as the tournament has never been played across multiple continents before.

In a virtual meeting of the FIFA council held recently, this monumental choice was made. However, it's important to note that it will require confirmation through a vote by all 211 FIFA members in the final months of the coming year.

This decision comes after months of speculation and political maneuvering among continental confederations vying for the prestigious hosting rights. The bid from Morocco, Spain, and Portugal is a unique collaboration between UEFA and the African federation, CAF. Interestingly, it had been considering including Ukraine as a host, as a symbol of solidarity amidst ongoing conflicts. However, it appears that the Ukraine component didn't make it into the final bid.

There had been expectations of rival bids from South America, where Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay were likely to team up, as well as another cross-continental bid involving Greece, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

FIFA has a commitment to rotating World Cups between confederations, and although the UEFA/CAF bid was a favorite for 2030, Conmebol—the South American confederation—has not hosted a World Cup since 2014 and was eager to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930.

As a result of this recent decision, the 2034 World Cup will go to a host country (or countries) represented by the Asian or Oceania confederations. This practically makes a Saudi Arabian bid almost inevitable, given their strong credentials. Australia, possibly alongside Indonesia, the fourth most populous country globally, may also join the race. There could even be interest from China, which had previously set its sights on hosting the World Cup by 2030.

"In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting," said FIFA's President, Gianni Infantino. "The FIFA council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way. As a result, a celebration will take place in South America, and three South American countries—Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay—will organize one match each of the FIFA World Cup 2030. The first of these three matches will, of course, be played at the stadium where it all began, in Montevideo's mythical Estádio Centenário, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup."