UK-Ireland 2030 FIFA World Cup Bid To Push Ahead
The British and Irish soccer associations are looking to push ahead with a joint bit with plans to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
English soccer’s Football Association (FA), which is who will lead the potential bid, presented their findings to the other associations involved in the proposal ahead of the 2020 UEFA European Championship draw, from research into the feasibility of hosting the sport’s flagship international tournament.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) general manager, Noel Mooney, said the findings from the English FA are strong and impressive.
“The feasibility study is positive and there’s a sense that the right thing to do is go forward,” Mooney said, in an interview with The Times.
“This bid is out on the front foot and very well led by the guys from the English FA who gave a very strong presentation.
“It’s a chance to get a really credible bid and hopefully win it.
“I’d be very surprised if there’s not a very credible bid from Great Britain and Ireland,” he said.
In August of 2018 when the idea was first discussed, UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, said it was “about time” the World Cup returned to England for the first time since 1966.
“I think it would be a very wise idea,” Ceferin said.
“The infrastructure in the UK is very good and, in a way if more countries bid, there is more chance to win.
“I think after all these years, it’s time for that part of Europe to get the World Cup.
“I don’t doubt the quality of the bid,” he said.
The UK and Ireland joint bid is set to be pinned against some tough competition when the bidding process is launched in 2022, with Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile already confirming they will team up to bid for the tournament, while Ecuador, Colombia and Peru have also stated they could form the second South American bid.
Further around Europe, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia have all announced plans to make a joint bid, while Spain and Portugal are conducting analysis into the feasibility of a joint bid as well.
Finally, China has also been linked to a potential 2030 FIFA World Cup bid, however, it has been reported the bid from China would serve as a trial run ahead of a further bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
