{"id":107458,"date":"2023-10-06T11:06:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T11:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/06\/six-countries-five-time-zones-three-continents\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T11:06:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T11:06:06","slug":"six-countries-five-time-zones-three-continents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/06\/six-countries-five-time-zones-three-continents\/","title":{"rendered":"Six countries, five time zones, three continents"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe opening three games of the 2030 World Cup are proposed to be held in South America to mark the tournament’s centenary \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Six countries. Five time zones. Three continents. Two different seasons. One World Cup.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0proposed plans\u00a0for the 2030 tournament \u2013 to be held in South America, Africa and Europe \u2013 are difficult to imagine as a reality.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time a World Cup has been played on more than one continent \u2013 2002 was the only previous event with more than one host in neighbouring countries South Korea and Japan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
That will change when the USA, Mexico and Canada host in 2026 \u2013 but that will not match the scale of the 2030 World Cup.<\/p>\n
Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been named as co-hosts, yet the opening three matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the World Cup\u2019s centenary.<\/p>\n
But how will it all work? And what are the likely implications for players and fans? BBC Sport takes a look at the key issues.<\/p>\n
Can a single country stage a 48-team World Cup?<\/h3>\n
Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will each host a single game at the start of the tournament to mark 100 years since the inaugural event in Montevideo.<\/p>\n
The Uruguayan capital will stage the opening game in 2030, with matches in Argentina and Paraguay to follow before the rest of the 48-team tournament takes place in north Africa and Europe.<\/p>\n
It means once those early fixtures are complete, the tournament will be split between three nations \u2013 as is planned for the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n
The World Cup will be expanded to host 48 teams for the first time when it is staged across 16 host cities in the US, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n
That, along with Fifa\u2019s decision to\u00a0retain the four-team group format,\u00a0will mean the number of matches increases from 80 to 104, alongside the introduction of a new last-32 stage.<\/p>\n
While only one of 22 previous World Cups has had more than one host nation, the increased scale of the tournament means multi-nation bids may become more attractive to prospective bidders.<\/p>\n
Will it really be in two seasons?<\/h3>\nSouthern hemisphere nations Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay experience winter in June and July \u2013 when it is summer in Morocco, Portugal and Spain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The change of hemispheres means some teams could find themselves in the bizarre scenario of playing in two different seasons at the same World Cup.<\/p>\n
Those who will feature in one of the opening three matches in South America before resuming the rest of their tournament in Europe or north Africa would switch from winter to summer in a matter of days.<\/p>\n
In June, Uruguay experiences cool average temperatures of between 8C and 15C in winter, while at the same time the temperature in Morocco could be above 30C.<\/p>\n
Neighbouring Argentina sees similar ranges to Uruguay while, to the north, Paraguay has a warmer average high of 23C.<\/p>\n
But that is still far cooler than the summer heat expected in parts of Spain and Portugal which, like Morocco, have average daily maximum temperatures of about 35C by July.<\/p>\n
What about issues around travel, scheduling & the environment?<\/h3>\n
Further details will be revealed in due course, but it is clear there will be significant extra travel required for all involved \u2013 including fans hoping to follow their team.<\/p>\n
Any planning for the event will have to be put on hold until information around host cities and schedules is released. When it is, the movement required between continents and countries could prove very costly.<\/p>\n
The scheduling could also be problematic for those watching from afar, certainly in the early stages, with a five-hour time difference between Paraguay and Spain.<\/p>\n
That provides an additional issue for those drawn to play their opening match in South America, with an average flight time of about 13 hours between Argentina and Spain.<\/p>\n
The extra travel has also raised questions over Fifa\u2019s commitment to sustainability after its claims that Qatar 2022 would be carbon neutral were called\u00a0\u201cdangerous and misleading\u201d\u00a0by environmentalists.<\/p>\n
By the world governing body\u2019s own estimation, the 2026 World Cup \u2013 predicted to deliver a potential\u00a0profit rise of \u00a3521m\u00a0\u2013 will be the most emitting tournament it has ever staged.<\/p>\n
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the decision to expand the World Cup was led by a need for the tournament\u00a0to be \u201cmore inclusive\u201d\u00a0and was \u201cnot at all a money and power grab\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fifa told BBC Sport it is \u201cfully aware that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and believes it requires each of us to take immediate and sustainable climate action\u201d.<\/p>\n
It added: \u201cFifa is also fully aware of the impacts that mega-events have on the economy, the natural environment and on people and communities, and has been making substantial efforts to tackle those impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governing body said it \u201cwill implement a robust sustainability strategy for the event. Fifa will do everything possible to maximise the experience of teams, fans and officials while minimising the impact on the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018A logistical nightmare\u2019 \u2013 what will it feel like for fans?<\/h3>\n
World Cups are synonymous with their hosts, their staging of the event and the opportunity for teams and fans to engage in the wider culture.<\/p>\n
With several host nations \u2013 all six of which are to receive automatic entries to the tournament \u2013 it is likely many will have different experiences of the same tournament.<\/p>\n
If the proposal is approved at a Fifa congress next year, Morocco will become only the second African nation to host after South Africa in 2010. Portugal will host for the first time, while Spain has not staged the tournament since 1982.<\/p>\n
But could the enjoyment for those hoping to travel be affected by the scale and costs associated with the upcoming tournaments?<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a fan it would be a logistical nightmare,\u201d England football fan Garford Beck, who travels to watch the team at major tournaments, told BBC Radio 5 Live.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was horrendous in Russia, going down from Moscow to Samara for the quarter-finals was 18 hours each way on the train.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what they don\u2019t get is that fans don\u2019t like tournaments in two countries, let alone six or three.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/131339093_gettyimages-1705715803-696x392.jpg\" "\\"_131339093_gettyimages-1705715803\\"\/")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/_131339089_wc2030_map.jpg\")