Spain, a primary co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, has opened the bidding process for media rights to the next two editions of soccer's premier event.
The tender covers both the 2026 World Cup – set to be staged across Mexico, the US, and Canada – and the 2030 tournament. Spain will host a significant number of games during these tournaments. The hosting rights will largely be shared with Portugal and Morocco.
The upcoming 2026 tournament is particularly noteworthy as it will be the first edition of the World Cup to feature as many as 48 teams participating in a total of 104 matches. The invitation to tender in Spain went live on January 14th. Interested parties have until February 18th at 10am (Central European Time) to submit their bids. They can request necessary documentation by contacting spain-media-rights@fifa.org.
Previous hosts and broadcasters
Spain, Portugal, and Morocco were officially confirmed as joint hosts of the future tournament in mid-December. Most games will take place within these three countries; however, South America will also host some matches (one each in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay).
In terms of broadcasting history: RTVE (a public-service broadcaster) covered selected games from Qatar's late-2022 FIFA World Cup live in Spain while Movistar Plus pay-TV channel aired all matches. Mediapro agency originally secured rights to that tournament through an early-2019 deal but was later eliminated surprisingly by Morocco at round-of-16 stage.
RTVE also broadcasted mid-2024’s European Championship which was won by Spain.
Global media rights partnerships
FIFA has begun seeking media rights partners globally for its next three World Cups – two men's and one women’s. The deadline for bid submissions across these tenders is February 13.
In recent World Cup rights deals, the UK’s BBC and ITV free-to-air broadcasters retained rights to the 2026 and 2030 editions in mid-December. Russia's Match TV also recently announced its rights for the 2026 tournament.
The bidding process for Spanish media rights marks an exciting time for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike, as it will determine how they can access coverage of these highly anticipated tournaments.
