When does qualifying for the 2030 World Cup start? The key dates of all six confederations up to the tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco – officially confirmed, planned or expected based on the 2026 cycle:
| Date | Confederation | What happens | Status |
|---|
| Jan–Feb 2027 | AFC | AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia; afterwards the AFC sets the World Cup qualifying format | planned |
| March 2027 | CONMEBOL | South American qualifying starts in the international window of 22–30 March 2027: all ten teams, 18 matchdays home and away | planned |
| June 2027 | UEFA | Nations League 2026/27 finals – the final standings decide who plays in League 1 or League 2 of European qualifying | planned |
| September 2027 | CONCACAF | Concacaf Round 1: 22 teams (ranked 14–35) home and away, 11 winners advance | official |
| Sep 2027 – Mar 2028 | CONCACAF | Concacaf Round 2: 24 teams in six groups of four, group winners and runners-up reach the final round | official |
| expected from late 2027 | AFC | Asia Round 1 with the lowest-ranked teams – date not yet set (for 2026 this round began in October 2023) | to be confirmed |
| to be confirmed | CAF | Africa: start of the group stage with nine groups of six – for 2026 it began in November 2023, about two and a half years before the tournament | to be confirmed |
| 2027–2029 | OFC | Oceania: qualifying rounds for the direct place and the intercontinental play-off place – exact dates still open | to be confirmed |
| June 2028 – Oct 2029 | CONCACAF | Concacaf final round: 12 teams in three groups of four, group winners and runners-up (6 teams) qualify directly | official |
| from autumn 2028 | UEFA | European qualifying starts after EURO 2028 in the new league system: League 1 (36 teams, three groups of 12) and League 2 | planned |
| November 2029 | CONCACAF | Concacaf Play-In between the two best third-placed teams – the winner goes to the intercontinental play-offs | official |
| by November 2029 | UEFA | End of the league phase in Europe: the three League 1 group winners qualify, further places go to the play-offs | expected |
| late 2029 | CONMEBOL | Final matchday in South America: three direct places and one intercontinental play-off place (Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay already qualify as hosts) | expected |
| late 2029 | FIFA | Final draw for the World Cup (for 2026 it was held on 5 December 2025) | expected |
| March 2030 | FIFA | European play-offs and intercontinental play-offs for the last World Cup tickets | expected |
| 8 June – 21 July 2030 | FIFA | 2030 World Cup: centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, then the tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco up to the final on 21 July | official |
Still open: the start dates in Africa, Asia and Oceania, and whether the 2030 World Cup will have 48 or 64 teams – which also decides the number of places. We update this schedule as soon as the confederations confirm dates.