South America launches its four-nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup with Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile joining forces… as they urge FIFA to mark the 100-year anniversary of the tournament by returning it to ‘where football was born’
- The application window for bids to host the 2030 World Cup opened in June
- A South American bid was launched by Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay
- The first ever edition of the showpiece tournament in 1930 took place Uruguay
South America has launched its four-nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile have joined together in the bid which was formally launched in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, calling for the tournament to return to ‘where football was born’.
The South American effort to host the tournament in 2030 is an attempt to mark the 100 year anniversary of the first ever World Cup that was held in Uruguay.
In that tournament – which the hosts won, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final – all games were played in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, and as part of their bid the final would be played in the same Estadio Centenario Stadium.
A decision on the tournament will be voted on by the FIFA congress in 2024, with the window for bids opening in June 2022.
Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay launched the South American bid for the 2030 World Cup in Buenos Aires, calling for the tournament to return to where ‘football was born’
The four-nation effort aims to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay
The South American bid will compete with a joint bid from Spain, Portugal and Ukraine, while Saudi Arabia is expected to launch a bid with Greece and Egypt and Morocco is also rumoured to be keen on hosting the tournament.
South American confederation (CONMEBOL) head Alejandro Dominguez spoke at the ceremony at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in Buenos Aires after the bid was announced, urging FIFA to celebrate the centenary of the tournament.
He said: ‘The 2030 World Cup is not just one more version. It deserves a celebration and recognition to mark 100 years of the tournament.
‘FIFA has the chance to demonstrate a gesture of greatness and award the World Cup to the place where it originated.
‘At the end, the ones who want it more win it. And in that Argentina and all of our countries have a tradition.’
AFA president Claudio Tapia added: ‘As world champions, we carry out this launch which is the dream of all South Americans.
‘Not only on the centenary of the first edition, but because of the passion with which we live football.’
After the first edition in Uruguay, the World Cup took place in Argentina in 1978 and in Chile in 1962, but Paraguay have never hosted the competition.
Argentine president Alberto Fernandez confirmed that Bolivia would be asked to join the bid
Argentina are the current World Cup holders after their dramatic victory in Qatar last year
Since the 1978 edition, Brazil have been the only South American nation to host the tournament in 2014.
Argentina President Alberto Fernandez also confirmed on his Twitter account that fellow South American nation Bolivia will be asked to join the bid.
He said: ‘This is the candidacy of the entire continent. That is why I will propose that Bolivia become a part of this dream.’
Chile sports minister Alexandra Benado Vergara argued Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar provides extra gravitas to the South American bid.
She also believes that the joint bid between the four, and potentially five nations, is extremely strong – and much stronger than Uruguay’s original bid on its own.
Vergara explained: ‘Argentina’s victory is also the victory of our region. We can totally say we will have a bid that is sustainable, clear, austere during these times of our region and the world.’
Chile sports minister Alexandra Benado Vergara (L) and her Uruguayan counterpart Sebastian Bauza (R) claimed that Argentina’s World Cup win strengthened the South American bid
Uruguayan sports minister Sebastian Bauza added that South America ‘feels we have the right to organise that World Cup.’
The voting on who will host the tournament takes place next year and FIFA congress, – which is made up of more than 200 members from all over the world – will decide.
However, it is reported that the Saudi Arabia-Greece-Egypt joint bid is currently the favourite.