Football Path

Upcoming football tournaments: dates, hosts and how to qualify (2027–2030)

World Cup 2026 is done — Spain are champions. Football Path now tracks the path to what comes next: hosts, dates, formats and how every team qualifies for the biggest international and club tournaments through 2030.

Updated

Upcoming tournaments

January 7 – February 5, 2027 AFC Asian Cup 2027 Saudi Arabia hosts Asia's championship for the first time, in January–February 2027 — draw made, tickets on sale. Hosts: Saudi Arabia June 19 – July 17, 2027 Africa Cup of Nations 2027 East Africa's first AFCON: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda co-host the 24-team tournament, June 19 – July 17, 2027. Hosts: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda June 24 – July 25, 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 Brazil hosts the first Women's World Cup in South America — 32 teams, final at the Maracanã, draw on December 11, 2026. Hosts: Brazil June – July 2028 (TBC) Copa América 2028 South America's championship returns in mid-2028 — host still to be confirmed by CONMEBOL. Hosts: TBC June 9 – July 9, 2028 UEFA Euro 2028 The UK and Ireland co-host the 24-team European Championship, with the final at Wembley. Hosts: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland June – July 2029 (TBC) FIFA Club World Cup 2029 The second 32-team Club World Cup — seven clubs already qualified, host to be chosen by FIFA. Hosts: TBC June 8 – July 21, 2030 FIFA World Cup 2030 The centenary World Cup: Spain, Portugal and Morocco host, with three opening matches in South America. Hosts: Spain, Portugal, Morocco

Latest updates

What changed on the road to the next tournaments, newest first. Each item links to the page with the detail.

  1. AFCON 2027

    AFCON 2027 qualifiers, matchday 2 begins: DR Congo win 2–1 in Zimbabwe to make it two from two, Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso also win. Most of the round is played on September 29, including Uganda's first competitive match at Hoima City Stadium. Details

  2. AFCON 2027

    AFCON 2027 qualifiers, matchday 1 complete: 24 matches, 63 goals. Morocco beat Gabon 2–0, Côte d'Ivoire beat Ghana 2–0, Egypt drew 0–0 with Angola; hosts Kenya and Uganda drew, Tanzania lost 0–2 to Guinea-Bissau. All results and 12 group tables are on the qualifiers page. Details

  3. Euro 2028

    Nations League 2026–27, which seeds the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, is under way: England lost 3–2 at home to Spain, Wales lost twice, Scotland drew in Slovenia and the Republic of Ireland beat Israel 3–0. Details

  4. Asian Cup 2027

    The AFC names a record 76 match officials for the Asian Cup 2027 — 24 referees, 41 assistants and 11 video match officials — including the first UEFA contingent at an Asian Cup. The Gulf Cup in Jeddah (September 23 – October 6) doubles as the tournament's test event. Details

  5. AFCON 2027

    CAF president Patrice Motsepe says AFCON 2027 preparations are behind schedule and some venues are below standard, but rules out any postponement; stadiums must be ready for test events by January 2027. Details

  6. Euro 2028

    UEFA re-confirms the Euro 2028 qualifying draw for Sunday, December 6, 2026 at the ICC in Belfast, with group matches from March to November 2027 and play-offs on March 23–28, 2028. Details

  7. Euro 2028

    UEFA's Executive Committee approves a transition promotion and relegation system for the 2026–27 Nations League ahead of the move to three leagues in 2028–29; League D is abolished and all its teams move up to League C. Details

  8. World Cup 2030

    FIFA says no decision has been made on the World Cup 2030 final venue after Morocco's federation claimed it for the Grand Stade Hassan II in Benslimane; Spain's federation wants the Bernabéu. The 64-team expansion study is also unresolved. Details

Timeline

WhenTournamentHostsTeams
January 7 – February 5, 2027AFC Asian Cup 2027Saudi Arabia24
June 19 – July 17, 2027Africa Cup of Nations 2027Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda24
June 24 – July 25, 2027FIFA Women's World Cup 2027Brazil32
June – July 2028 (TBC)Copa América 2028TBC16 (expected)
June 9 – July 9, 2028UEFA Euro 2028England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland24
June – July 2029 (TBC)FIFA Club World Cup 2029TBC32 (expansion to 48 has been discussed)
June 8 – July 21, 2030FIFA World Cup 2030Spain, Portugal, Morocco48 (64-team expansion under FIFA study)

World Cup 2026 archive

Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. Everything from the tournament stays online: the interactive Round of 32 bracket, every team's path, fixture recaps, venues and guides.

Archive🏆 World Cup 2026 bracketInteractive radial bracket of the 48-team tournament and every team's route. ResultsRound of 16 to the finalEvery knockout score from July 4 to Spain's 1–0 win over Argentina in the final. ResultsRound of 32All 16 first-round knockout results with match reports. Champions🇪🇸 SpainSquad, coach, key players and the road to a second world title. GuideHow the 48-team format worksThe system that carries over to World Cup 2030. GuideHost cities and stadiumsAll 16 venues across the USA, Canada and Mexico.

FAQ

What is the next major football tournament after World Cup 2026?

The AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia (January 7 – February 5, 2027) is the next continental championship, followed by AFCON 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (June 19 – July 17, 2027) and the Women's World Cup in Brazil (June 24 – July 25, 2027). Before then, the AFCON 2027 qualifiers are already under way (matchday 1 was played on September 24–26, 2026), the Euro 2028 qualifying draw is in Belfast on December 6, 2026 and the Women's World Cup draw is in Rio on December 11, 2026.

When and where is the next men's World Cup?

World Cup 2030 runs June 8 – July 21, 2030, hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Who won World Cup 2026?

Spain, beating Argentina 1–0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. England took third place with a 6–4 win over France.

Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Details marked TBC are awaiting confirmation from the organisers.