Joint Bid Trend Dominating Major Soccer Tournaments

There is strength in numbers — especially when it comes to hosting the world’s best soccer players for premier international events.

UEFA’s decision on which countries will host the Euro 2028 and 2032 tournaments furthers a growing trend of neighboring nations partnering on successful bids for top-tier events.

Over the next decade, soccer’s biggest tournaments will be played across multiple countries:

• 2026 FIFA World Cup: United States, Mexico, and Canada
• 2028 UEFA Euro: Ireland and U.K.
• 2030 FIFA World Cup: Morocco, Portugal, Spain (opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay)
• 2032 UEFA Euro: Italy and Turkey

The emerging strategy follows a successful FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the first joint-hosting duties in that tournament’s history. Those countries expressed interest in hosting a men’s World Cup — potentially the 2034 edition — but face stiff competition from Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. and Mexico are also bidding together for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Japan and South Korea are the only countries to have jointly hosted a men’s World Cup previously, doing so in 2002. Four Euro editions have been hosted by multiple countries since its inception in 1960.

Better Together

Multiple countries partnering together for major bids not only eases the financial and logistical burdens of hosting said tournaments, but also makes it easier for interested nations to gain support.

Once FIFA decides on a host for the 2034 World Cup, there will likely be a lull in hosting announcements, as the next major tournament would be Euro 2036.