Return after 100 years
Four countries want to host the 2030 World Cup together
2/7/2023, 7:14 p.m
In 1930, the first soccer World Cup ever took place in Uruguay. And if various South American association leaders have their way, the World Cup will return 100 years later. Four countries apply together, a fifth could still join.
The South American countries Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay have officially applied to host the 2030 World Cup. The presidents of the four football associations and the head of the South American Football Association (“Conmebol”), Alejandro Domínguez, presented the joint application under the motto “2030 Juntos” (“2030 Together”) on the grounds of the Argentine Football Association AFA near the capital Buenos Aires. The associations had already announced last year that they wanted to bring the World Cup back to South America 100 years after the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.
“We dream of hosting this championship again in its 100th year. We South Americans are all very passionate, we live football that way,” said Argentine FA chief Claudio Tapia. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández suggested including neighboring Bolivia in the group of applicants. “This candidacy belongs to the whole continent, so I want Bolivia to be part of this dream,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mini World Cup to start
World governing body FIFA will decide who will host the 2030 World Cup in early 2024. Spain, Portugal and Ukraine also want to jointly apply to host the 2030 World Cup. The governments of Bulgaria and Greece had already announced a joint candidacy with Romania and Serbia in 2018. FIFA also brought up a World Cup in Israel and other countries from the region. According to the media, Saudi Arabia is considering bidding alongside Egypt and Greece.
The first World Cup was played in Uruguay in 1930. Although there were no qualifications and virtually every country could take part, just 13 national teams took part in the first World Cup in winter in the southern hemisphere – including only four from Europe. Hosts Uruguay finally crowned themselves the first football world champions after beating arch-rivals Argentina. From 2026, the field of participants in a World Cup will consist of 48 teams. The new format celebrates its premiere at the joint tournament of the USA, Canada and Mexico.