Saturday, November 2

FIFA delays marketing campaign and vote to choose males’s 2030 World Cup hosts; girls’s 2027 vote set for Bangkok

GENEVA — FIFA’s seek for the lads’s 2030 World Cup hosts was postponed on Friday resulting from delays about agreeing on guidelines for the marketing campaign and the ultimate vote.

The vote by about 200 FIFA member federations was moved to the final quarter of 2024 as an alternative of a beforehand anticipated assembly in September subsequent 12 months.

Bid guidelines will goal to be settled on at a FIFA council assembly earlier than the tip of October, soccer’s governing physique mentioned, “with the bidding process to be officially launched thereafter.”



One speculated venture for the 48-team match in 2030 appeared to drop out this week when media in Greece reported a Saudi Arabia-led co-host bid that included Egypt is not going to go forward.

Saudi Arabian soccer officers had not publicly confirmed what would have been an unprecedented three-continent internet hosting plan in keeping with the dominion’s aggressive big-spending ambitions in international soccer. A bid for the 2034 World Cup has been seen as a extra doubtless goal.

Still, Saudi involvement may but be revived even when it might imply bringing the World Cup again to Asia simply eight years after Qatar hosted in 2022, and certain once more in November-December in the midst of the European membership season.

Europe has lengthy dedicated to bidding for the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, and that venture has added near-neighbor Morocco from Africa. Ukraine is also concerned in that bid.

South America additionally needs to host the centenary World Cup, with unique 1930 host Uruguay in a four-nation bid with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.

Even if the South American bid loses, Uruguay may nonetheless be honored because the inaugural host by being given a few of the 104 video games to stage on the identical Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

FIFA mentioned on Friday it wished “additional consultation with all key stakeholders (for the 2030 World Cup) which will mark the centenary of men’s football’s showpiece tournament.”

The 2027 Women’s World Cup vote is scheduled on May 17 subsequent 12 months and FIFA mentioned its annual assembly to determine the host might be held in Bangkok.

The 4 candidates are Brazil; South Africa; a European co-hosting bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands; and a United States-Mexico bid.

The U.S., Mexico and Canada will host the primary 48-team males’s World Cup in 2026, and FIFA additionally selected Friday to award the 2025 Club World Cup to the U.S. as a take a look at occasion.

The just lately expanded 32-team membership match may additionally share some video games with Canada and Mexico.

Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com