The first ever FIFA World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay. Since then there have been 17 different FIFA World Cup host counteries. Mexico is set to host the FIFA World Cup once more in 2026 along with USA and Canada, which will make Mexico the country which has hosted the most FIFA World Cups ever, i.e., 3 times.
Deciding the host for the FIFA World Cup is very important. When Uruguay were decided as the hosts in 1930, only 4 European nations took part in it. The next World Cup was therefore held in Europe. The 1938 World Cup was held in Europe as well, but the South American countries thought that the host nation would alternate between the 2 continents which led to Argentina and Brazil boycotting the 1939 FIFA World Cup.
Due to such reasons deciding the FIFA World Cup host is very important.
| Year | Hosts | Venues/ Cities | Total attendance | Matches | Avg. attendance |
| 1930 | Uruguay | 3/1 | 590,549 | 18 | 32,808 |
| 1934 | Italy | 8/8 | 363,000 | 17 | 21,353 |
| 1938 | France | 10/9 | 375,700 | 18 | 20,872 |
| 1950 | Brazil | 6/6 | 1,045,246 | 22 | 47,511 |
| 1954 | Switzerland | 6/6 | 768,607 | 26 | 29,562 |
| 1958 | Sweden | 12/12 | 819,810 | 35 | 23,423 |
| 1962 | Chile | 4/4 | 893,172 | 32 | 27,912 |
| 1966 | England | 8/7 | 1,563,135 | 32 | 48,848 |
| 1970 | Mexico | 5/5 | 1,603,975 | 32 | 50,124 |
| 1974 | West Germany | 9/9 | 1,865,753 | 38 | 49,099 |
| 1978 | Argentina | 6/5 | 1,545,791 | 38 | 40,679 |
| 1982 | Spain | 17/14 | 2,109,723 | 52 | 40,572 |
| 1986 | Mexico | 12/11 | 2,394,031 | 52 | 46,039 |
| 1990 | Italy | 12/12 | 2,516,215 | 52 | 48,389 |
| 1994 | United States | 9/9 | 3,587,538 | 52 | 68,991 |
| 1998 | France | 10/10 | 2,785,100 | 64 | 43,517 |
| 2002 | South Korea | 20/20 | 2,705,197 | 64 | 42,269 |
| 2006 | Germany | 12/12 | 3,359,439 | 64 | 52,491 |
| 2010 | South Africa | 10/9 | 3,178,856 | 64 | 49,670 |
| 2014 | Brazil | 12/12 | 3,429,873 | 64 | 53,592 |
| 2018 | Russia | 12/11 | 3,031,768 | 64 | 47,371 |
Being the host for the FIFA World Cup is a very prestigious honor and therefore requires a very long and strenuous process before the country is selected as the host for a particular FIFA World Cup. FIFA have had strict stadium guideline requirements since at least 2001.
Stadiums must have a capacity of at least 40,000, stadiums hosting quarter-finals must have a minimum of 60,000 and those hosting the opening ceremony or final must have a capacity of at least 80,000. The host countries now are selected by a vote by FIFA’s Council. An exhaustive ballot system is used to determine the host nation.
There are also various requirements which have to be met by the country. These are:
Stadium Requirements:
FIFA Requirement: FIFA requires 12 stadiums that each have a minimum capacity of 40,000 – 80,000, depending on which matches will be played there. Additionally, each team needs its own base camp training site, as well as a training site at each stadium. The 2026 World Cup will start to require 14 stadiums and 150 training grounds.
Transportation Requirements:
FIFA Requirement: FIFA requires that each stadium has an airport nearby, and each airport must have a minimum capacity of 1,450 passengers per hour.
Accommodation Requirements:
FIFA Requirement: FIFA requires 72 base camp hotels for teams and referees, as well as 4 hotels per stadium location. For spectators, they require 1,760 – 8,080 hotel rooms in each host city, based on which match will take place there.
