Cristiano Ronaldo quickly reacted to the final decision on the FIFA World Cup 2030 host, which will be jointly organized by Spain and Portugal, in addition to three matches being played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to commemorate the first edition of the tournament, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Reaction to the World Cup Coming to His Country

"A dream come true. Portugal will host the 2030 World Cup, and we are filled with pride. Together!" wrote the Portuguese forward on his X profile, accompanied by a photo, referring to the historic World Cup that will be held across three continents for the first time.

Spain and Portugal’s 2030 Bid Fulfills a Dream They Were Denied in 2010

In 2030, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will fulfill the dream they sought unsuccessfully fourteen years ago when FIFA denied them the opportunity to host the 2018 World Cup, ultimately choosing Russia instead.

The 2010 Iberian bid, which included Spain, fresh from winning the 2010 South Africa World Cup, and Portugal, fell just two votes short of securing the 2018 World Cup. The decision required two rounds of voting from the four bidding countries.

The vote took place on December 2, fourteen years ago, at the Messezentrum auditorium in Zurich. The FIFA Executive Committee, responsible for selecting the World Cup host at the time, heard presentations from each candidate before voting, with speeches from José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and José Sócrates, the prime ministers of Spain and Portugal, among others.

Spain and Portugal Fell Just Two Votes Short of Russia for 2018

In the first round of voting, England received two votes, Netherlands/Belgium four, Spain/Portugal seven, and Russia nine.

In the second round, Netherlands/Belgium received two votes, the Iberian bid seven, and Russia thirteen, meaning Spain lost the chance to host the World Cup again, after hosting it in 1982.

The only bid criticized by FIFA for "high risk" due to transportation issues, including airports and international connections, the one offering the least number of tickets (3,141,000), and the one requiring the most new stadiums (13 out of 16), triumphed over stronger bids such as those from England and Spain and Portugal.