All the major football tournaments we have come to love must be planned years ahead to accommodate increasing demand, new markets, and evolving infrastructure.
Football authorities must sort out logistics and administrative bottlenecks while host nations always try to deliver a spectacle that leaves the world in awe.
With so many of these events coming thick and fast, we look at the confirmed and likely hosts for major international football tournaments between now and 2035.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup – United States of America (USA)
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup holds in the USA, with 32 teams competing for the $1 billion prize pool.
Giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, Chelsea, and Manchester City lock horns this summer, hoping to add an intercontinental feather to their caps.
The tournament has come under fire from fans, pundits, leagues, and players for its timing and unnecessary expansion. FIFA is still trying to ramp up interest in this one.
2026 FIFA World Cup – USA, Canada, Mexico
Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, and now the tournament heads to North America in 2026, where constantly bickering neighbours, the USA, Canada, and Mexico, plan to stage the tournament together.
The 23rd edition of the tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams and three host countries. It takes place from June 11 to July 19, and teams have started battling to book their places.
2028 UEFA European Championship – United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Euro 2028 is the 18th UEFA European Championship and will be jointly hosted by England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It is projected to take place from June 9 to July 9.
Euro 2024 finalists England will be eyeing the 2028 showpiece as their chance to win the tournament for the first time, especially on home soil. Their neighbours are also keen to give an excellent account of themselves as hosts and on the field.
2028 Summer Olympics Football Tournament – USA (Los Angeles Olympics)
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will use existing venues for the football tournament to promote sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is slated to host the men’s and women’s football semi-finals and finals, marking its third Olympic involvement. BMO Stadium in Exposition Park will be the venue for flag football and lacrosse competitions.
2030 FIFA World Cup – Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay
Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host the 2030 World Cup, which is already a source of much debate.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has criticised FIFA’s proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup to 64 teams, calling it a bad idea that would disrupt the qualification process and dilute competition quality.
UEFA has already adjusted to the 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup, but further expansion is excessive. Ceferin expressed frustration that UEFA was not consulted before the proposal surfaced.
