In an unprecedented combined effort, four South American nations on Tuesday put forth a proposal to host the World Cup in 2030, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the event. “This is not the project of a government but the dream of a whole continent,” added Dominguez. “There will be other World Cups but 100 years will be celebrated only once.” Uruguay and Argentina proposed the notion of a joint South American candidacy for the 2030 competition in 2017, and two years later the four probable hosts had been identified. However, they have only now made their bid official.
The football and sporting officials from the four countries present at the start on Tuesday had the romantic notion of returning the tournament to its original location at the center of their plans. According to Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan football association, the concept of a World Cup was thought up, examined, and put into effect here in Uruguay approximately 100 years ago. Sebastian Bauza, Uruguay’s minister of sports, stated that the four nations would present their candidacy to FIFA in May 2023, with the international governing body expected to decide the following year.
Bauza stated that to leave a lasting legacy for these four nations, “We have to put on a sustainable World Cup” He also mentioned that certain foreign banks have shown interest in assisting the bid. At least two other ideas are anticipated to compete with the united South American offer.
While Morocco has repeatedly stated they will bid to become only the second African nation to ever host the finals, Spain and Portugal have formally made a joint candidacy on their behalf. In February, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland decided to withdraw their joint bid, which would have allowed five FIFA member federations to host the event. Additionally, there have been rumors of an Israeli candidacy alongside those of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. 48 teams will compete in the 2030 tournament, and according to Dominguez, 80 games will be played over 14 stadiums.
In comparison, there will be 32 teams competing in 64 matches over eight venues at the Qatar World Cup later this year. In 1930, there were only 13 participating clubs, and all three stadiums in Montevideo served as the site of the event. If the bid is successful, up to four different nations might host the World Cup for the first time. Three nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—have already been given the right to host the competition in 2026.
Brazil 2014 held the most recent World Cup to be held in South America. Europe has hosted more than half of the 21 World Cup competitions that have already taken place.
