Countdown to
The FIFA World Cup
Football's world championship, contested once every four years.
Today is the FIFA World Cup.
1,319 days until the FIFA World Cup, on Thursday, June 13, 2030.
The FIFA World Cup is Thursday, June 13, 2030. Happens every four years, on dates set by FIFA.Provisional date — not yet officially confirmed.
The FIFA World Cup is the championship of international men’s football and, by most measures, the most-watched sporting event on Earth — its final routinely draws a larger global audience than any other single match. Dozens of national teams battle through a years-long qualifying campaign for a place in the finals, held once every four years in a rotating host nation. The next edition, in 2030, is a milestone: it marks 100 years since the very first World Cup.
A century of the World Cup
The tournament began in Uruguay in 1930, where 13 teams took part and the hosts lifted the first trophy on home soil, beating Argentina in the final in Montevideo. It has been staged every four years since, missing only 1942 and 1946 to the Second World War, and has grown into a genuinely global institution. Brazil, with five titles, is the most successful side and the only country to have appeared at every finals. The 2026 edition rewrote the format — the first with 48 teams and the first shared by three host nations, Canada, Mexico and the United States.
How we get this date. A World Cup schedule isn’t something you can calculate; FIFA fixes the host and the dates years ahead of time. So rather than run a formula, this page reads the next tournament from a small, hand-maintained table of the dates FIFA has announced (provisional until FIFA publishes the full match schedule) and counts down to it. With the 2026 finals complete, the table points to 2030 — and because the finals come around only once every four years, that is a genuinely long wait, which is exactly what a countdown is good for.
The 2030 centenary
The 2030 finals are among the most unusual ever planned. The main tournament will be hosted across Morocco, Portugal and Spain, bridging Africa and Europe, while the celebrations open in South America: as a tribute to the 1930 tournament, centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay are planned for around June 8–9 under FIFA’s proposed schedule. Montevideo, home of that first final, hosts the symbolic opening. Scheduled across June and July 2030, it is set to be the longest World Cup yet. The countdown above runs to the official opening of the main tournament in Morocco, Portugal and Spain on June 13.
⚽ Fun facts about the FIFA World Cup
- The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 with just 13 teams; the hosts won it, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final in Montevideo.
- Brazil is the most successful men's side, with five titles, and the only nation to have appeared at every World Cup finals tournament.
- The 2026 edition was the first with 48 teams and the first hosted by three countries — Canada, Mexico and the United States.
- The 2030 tournament marks 100 years of the World Cup and will be spread across six countries on three continents, with the opening matches staged in South America to honour the 1930 original.
- Held every four years, the World Cup has been cancelled only twice, in 1942 and 1946, because of the Second World War.
How people mark the FIFA World Cup
- Gathering to watch matches at home, in pubs, and in public fan zones
- Flying flags and wearing national team colours
- Filling in a wall chart to track the group stage and knockout rounds
- Friendly rivalries over predictions and office sweepstakes
Frequently asked
When is the next World Cup?
The next men's FIFA World Cup is the 2030 centenary tournament, scheduled for June and July 2030. The countdown above shows the exact days remaining.
Who is hosting the 2030 World Cup?
Morocco, Portugal and Spain are the main hosts, with three celebratory opening matches played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark 100 years since the first World Cup in 1930.
How is the date calculated?
World Cup dates are set years in advance by FIFA and can't be computed from a rule, so this page reads the next tournament from a hand-maintained table of the dates FIFA has announced (provisional until FIFA publishes the full match schedule) and counts down to it.
Why is there such a long wait between World Cups?
The finals are held only once every four years, so after the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the next men's World Cup is the 2030 centenary edition. The countdown above shows exactly how long the wait is.