The 2030 World Cup is not just a football tournament — it is a food lover's dream. Three host countries, three of the world's great cuisines, and seventeen host cities each with their own specialities: Spain's tapas and jamón, Portugal's grilled fish and pastéis de nata, and Morocco's tagines and couscous. For fans, the food is half the experience of the trip, and this guide will help you eat well in every host city, from the stadium concourse to the finest restaurants.

Spain: tapas, jamón and the late dinner

Spanish food is built around sharing: tapas bars where you order a little of everything, jamón ibérico sliced paper-thin, patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo and the tortilla española. Each region has its own specialities — Basque pintxos in Bilbao, paella in Valencia, cocido in Madrid, seafood in Galicia — and the best way to eat is to follow the locals: stand at the bar, order what looks good and move on to the next place.

The Spanish eat late, and the rhythm matters: lunch is the main meal, served from 2pm, and dinner rarely starts before 9pm. On matchdays, eat a proper lunch and snack before the game, because the food inside the stadium is basic and expensive. And do not miss the markets: the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid and La Boqueria in Barcelona are perfect for a pre-match feast.

Portugal: grilled fish, bifanas and pastéis de nata

Portuguese food is simple, fresh and superb. The star is the fish: grilled sardines in summer, bacalhau in a hundred different forms, octopus and clams, all served with olive oil, garlic and crusty bread. The bifana — a pork sandwich with mustard — is the classic stadium food, and the francesinha in Porto is a sandwich so large it counts as a full meal.

No trip to Portugal is complete without the pastéis de nata, the custard tarts that are best eaten warm, dusted with cinnamon, from the bakery in Belém where they were invented. Portuguese wine is excellent and cheap, especially the vinho verde, and the coffee is strong and taken standing at the counter. Eat like the Portuguese do: simply, slowly and with good company.

Morocco: tagines, couscous and mint tea

Moroccan food is one of the great cuisines of the world, and the 2030 World Cup will introduce it to millions of fans. The tagine — a slow-cooked stew of meat, vegetables and spices, served in its conical clay pot — is the signature dish, and every region has its own version. Couscous is served on Fridays, pastilla is a sweet and savoury pie of pigeon or chicken, and the harira soup is the perfect pre-match meal.

Mint tea is the ritual that accompanies every meal: poured from a height into small glasses, sweet and refreshing, it is offered everywhere and refusing it is considered rude. Moroccan food is generally mild rather than hot, and the spices — cumin, saffron, cinnamon and ginger — give it a warmth that is unforgettable. Eat in the medina restaurants for the most authentic experience, and try the street food: grilled meats, fresh bread and orange juice squeezed to order.

Eating well on a matchday

Matchday eating needs a plan: eat a proper meal before you go to the stadium, because the food inside is expensive and limited, and carry water, especially for daytime games in the summer heat. After the match, the best meals are found away from the stadium, in the neighbourhoods where the locals eat, and the celebrations will keep the restaurants open late.

A few practical tips: check whether restaurants take cards, because smaller places in Morocco and Portugal may be cash-only; learn a few food words in Spanish, Portuguese and French; and be adventurous — the dishes you have never heard of are often the best ones. The 2030 World Cup will feed you well, if you let it.

The 2030 World Cup is a feast as well as a football tournament: tapas in Spain, grilled fish in Portugal and tagines in Morocco. Eat like a local in every host city, and the food will be as memorable as the football.