Nineteen countries have hosted the FIFA World Cup in the competition's twenty-three tournaments since the inaugural World Cup in 1930. FIFA at first awarded hosting to countries at meetings of its congress. The choice of location was controversial in the earliest tournaments, given the three-week boat journey between South America and Europe, the two centers of strength in football at the time.

The decision to hold the first cup in Uruguay, for example, led to only four European nations competing. The next two World Cups were held in Europe. The decision to hold the second of these, the 1938 FIFA World Cup, in France was controversial, as the South American countries had been led to understand that the World Cup would alternate between the two continents. Argentina and Uruguay thus boycotted the tournament. The first tournament following World War II, held in Brazil in 1950, had three teams withdraw because of financial problems or disagreements with the organisation.

In order to avoid any future boycotts or controversy, FIFA stuck to a pattern of alternation between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, the first to be held in Asia. The system evolved so that the host country is now chosen in a vote by FIFA's Congress. This is done under an exhaustive ballot system. The decision is currently made roughly seven years in advance of the tournament, though the hosts for the 2030 tournament were chosen at the same time as those for the 2034 tournament. The longest time between host selection and tournament was for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which was awarded to Spain in 1966.

Only Mexico (three times), Italy, the United States, France, Germany (West Germany until shortly after the 1990 World Cup) and Brazil have hosted the event at least twice. Mexico City's Estadio Azteca and Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã are the only venues to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the first with more than one host. The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the first to be hosted by more than two countries. To mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament in 2030, there will be three host countries (Morocco, Portugal, and Spain), with three additional countries (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) hosting celebratory centenary matches.

Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998 are the only nations to win the World Cup as hosts.

List of host nations Year Host nation(s) Confederation(s) 1930 CONMEBOL 1934 UEFA 1938 1942 Cancelled due to World War II 1946 1950 CONMEBOL 1954 UEFA 1958 1962 CONMEBOL 1966 UEFA 1970 CONCACAF 1974 UEFA 1978 CONMEBOL 1982 UEFA 1986 CONCACAF 1990 UEFA 1994 CONCACAF 1998 UEFA 2002 AFC 2006 UEFA 2010 CAF 2014 CONMEBOL 2018 UEFA 2022 AFC 2026 CONCACAF 2030 Anniversary match hosts: CAFUEFACONMEBOL 2034 AFC

1930 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Before the FIFA Congress could vote on the first-ever World Cup host, a series of withdrawals led to the election of Uruguay. The Netherlands withdrew, followed by Sweden withdrawing in favour of Italy. Then Hungary withdrew. Finally, both Italy and Spain withdrew, in favour of the only remaining candidate, Uruguay. The FIFA Congress met in Barcelona, Spain on 18 May 1929 to ratify the decision, and Uruguay was chosen without a vote.

Results:

The celebration of the first World Cup coincided with the centennial anniversary of the first Constitution of Uruguay. For that reason, the main stadium built in Montevideo for the World Cup was named Estadio Centenario.

1934 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Sweden decided to withdraw before the vote, as Italians were lobbying FIFA for superior conditions. As such decision that Italy would host the 1934 World Cup was ratified by the FIFA Congress in Stockholm, Sweden on 14 May 1932. The Italian Football Federation accepted the hosting duties on 9 October 1932.

Results:

1938 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Without any nations withdrawing their bids, the FIFA Congress convened in Berlin, Germany on 13 August 1936 to decide the next host. Electing France took only one ballot, as France had more than half of the votes in the first round.

Results: , 19 votes , 3 votes , 1 vote

1942 and 1946 FIFA World Cups (cancelled) Bids for 1942:

Brazil and Germany bid for the 1942 FIFA World Cup, but FIFA eventually cancelled the tournament entirely due to the outbreak of the World War II in September 1939.

1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cups

1950 bid Bid:

After the cancellation of the 1946 FIFA World Cup due to the aftermath of World War II, the World Cup returned. The 1950 World Cup was originally scheduled for 1949, but the day after Brazil was selected by the FIFA Congress on 26 July 1946 in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, the World Cup was rescheduled for 1950.

Result:

1954 bid Bid:

The 1954 World Cup hosting duty was decided on 26 July 1946, the same day that Brazil was selected for the 1950 World Cup, in Luxembourg City. On 27 July, the FIFA Congress pushed back the 5th World Cup finals, deciding it should take place in 1954.

Result:

1958 FIFA World Cup

Bid:

Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Sweden expressed interest in hosting the tournament. Swedish delegates lobbied other countries at the FIFA Congress held in Rio de Janeiro around the opening of the 1950 World Cup finals.Norlin, pp.24–25 Sweden was awarded the 1958 tournament unopposed on 23 June 1950.

Result:

1962 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

West Germany withdrew before the vote, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal on 10 June 1956, leaving two remaining bids. In one round of voting, Chile won over Argentina.

Results: , 32 votes , 11 votes withdrew

1966 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Spain withdrew from the bidding prior to voting by the FIFA Congress, held in Rome, Italy on 22 August 1960. As before, there was only one round of voting, with England beating West Germany.

Results: , 34 votes , 27 votes withdrew

1970 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

The FIFA Congress convened in Tokyo, Japan on 8 October 1964. One round of voting saw Mexico win the hosting duties over Argentina.

Results: , 56 votes , 32 votes

1974, 1978, 1982 FIFA World Cups

Three hosts for the 1974, 1978, and 1982 World Cups were chosen in London, England on 6 July 1966 by the FIFA Congress. Spain and West Germany, both facing each other in the running for hosting duties for the 1974 and 1982 World Cups, agreed to give one another a hosting job. Germany withdrew from the 1982 bidding process while Spain withdrew from the 1974 bidding process, essentially guaranteeing each a hosting spot. Mexico, who had won the 1970 hosting bid over Argentina just two years prior, agreed to withdraw and let Argentina take the 1978 hosting position.

1974 results Source:

withdrew in exchange for 1982 hosting duties

1978 results Source:

withdrew, as they had won hosting for 1970

1982 results Source:

withdrew in exchange for 1974 hosting duties

1986 FIFA World Cup

Bid:

Host voting, handled by the then-FIFA Executive Committee (or Exco), met in Stockholm, Sweden on 9 June 1974 and ratified the unopposed Colombian bid.

Result:

However, Colombia resigned hosting rights on 5 November 1982, less than four years before the event was to start, due to a multitude of domestic reasons: financial pressures and insufficient support, increasing crime rate, and most urgently due to a lack of progress in developing infrastructure and criteria meeting stadiums.

A call for bids was sent out again, and FIFA received intent from three nations:

In Stockholm on 20 May 1983, Mexico won the bidding unanimously as voted by the executive committee, for the first time in FIFA World Cup bidding history (excluding nations who bid unopposed).

Results: , unanimous vote , 0 votes , 0 votes

1990 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Except Italy and the Soviet Union, all nations withdrew before the vote, which was to be conducted by Exco in Zürich on 19 May 1984. Once again, only one round of voting was required, as Italy won more votes than the Soviet Union.

Results: , 11 votes , 5 votes withdrew withdrew

1994 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Despite having three nations bidding, voting only took one round. The vote was held in Zürich on 4 July 1988. The United States gained a majority of votes of the Exco members.

Results: , 10 votes , 7 votes , 2 votes

1998 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

This vote was held in Zürich on 1 July 1992. Only one round of voting was required to have France assume the hosting job over Morocco.

Result: , 12 votes , 7 votes withdrew

2002 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

Mexico withdrew on 28 February 1996. On 31 May 1996, the hosting selection meeting was held in Zürich. A joint bid was formed between Japan and South Korea, and the unopposed bid was "voted by acclamation", an oral vote without ballots.

Results: / (joint bid, voted by acclamation) withdrew

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was co-hosted in Asia for the first time by South Korea and Japan (the opening match was held in South Korea and the final was held in Japan). Initially, the two Asian countries were competitors in the bidding process. But just before the vote, they agreed with FIFA to co-host the event. However, the rivalry and distance between them led to organizational and logistical problems. FIFA has said that co-hosting is not likely to happen again, and in 2004 officially stated that its statutes did not allow co-hosting bids. This policy has since been overturned as the United States, Mexico, and Canada were chosen to be joint hosts for the 2026 World Cup.

2006 FIFA World Cup

Bids:

On 6 July 2000, the host selection meeting was held in Zürich. On 4 July 2000, Brazil withdrew its bid before the vote, and the field was narrowed to four. This was the first selection in which more than one vote round was required. Three rounds of votes were eventually needed. Germany was at least tied for first in each of the three votes, and ended up defeating South Africa by only one vote after an abstention (see below).

+ Results Nation Rounds 1 2 3 101112 61111 52- 3--WithdrewTotal votes242423

Controversy The controversy over the decision to award the 2006 FIFA World Cup to Germany led to a further change in practice. The final tally was 12 votes to 11 in favour of Germany over the contenders South Africa, who had been favourites to win. New Zealand FIFA member Charlie Dempsey, who was instructed to vote for South Africa by the Oceania Football Confederation, abstained from voting at the last minute. If he had voted for the South African bid, the tally would have been 12–12, giving the decision to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who, it was widely believed, would then have voted for South Africa.

Dempsey was among eight members of the executive committee to receive a fax from editors of the German satirical magazine Titanic on Wednesday, the night before the vote, promising a cuckoo clock and Black Forest ham in exchange for voting for Germany. He argued that the pressure from all sides including "an attempt to bribe" him had become too much for him.

On 4 August 2000, consequently, FIFA decided to rotate the hosting of the final tournaments between its constituent confederations. However, in October 2007, during the selection of the host for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, they announced that they would no longer continue with the continental rotation policy (see below).Australia can host World Cup , by Matthew Hall, published 18 September 2005

2010 FIFA World Cup

The first World Cup bidding process under continental rotation (the process of rotating hosting of the World Cup to each confederation in turn) was the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup to be held in Africa. On 7 July 2001, during the FIFA Congress in Buenos Aires, a decision was ratified that the rotation would begin in Africa. On 23 September 2002, FIFA's executive committee confirmed that only African member associations would be invited to submit bids to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Bids