Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay have officially submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The South American team launched its four-nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup on Tuesday, February 7 calling for the football tournament to return to “where football was born” 100 years after the first World Cup was held in Montevideo.
The South America countries launched their effort to host the 2030 edition of the tournament in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The bid was conceived as an attempt to mark the 100th anniversary of the first-ever World Cup that was held in Uruguay.
In that tournament, all the matches were played in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital and the hosts won, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final.
Part of the bid submitted by the South America team is that the final match of the 2030 World Cup would be played in the same Estadio Centenario Stadium.
South American confederation (CONMEBOL) chief Alejandro Dominguez spoke at the Tuesday ceremony held at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in Buenos Aires after the 2030 World Cup bid was announced.
And during the ceremony, officials of the four South American countries were joined by Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), who urged FIFA to celebrate the centenary of the tournament in the sub region.
Dominguez said that he hopes the international football governing body FIFA can show a “gesture of greatness” toward the region and grant their bid to organize the tournament.
He added: “The 2030 World Cup is not just another World Cup, it deserves a celebration with recognition for 100 years,” Dominguez said.
“We are convinced that FIFA must honor the memory of those who came before us and believed in greatness and made the first World Cup.”
Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia also added that the bid is collectively submitted not only to mark the 100 years after the first World Cup was held but because of their surging passion for football.
Claudio Tapia noted: “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 love football.”
Argentina President Alberto Fernandez also confirmed on his Twitter page that fellow South American nation Bolivia will be invited 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.’
In the same vein, Chile sports minister Alexandra Benado Vergara argued that Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph over France in Qatar provides more impetus to the South American bid.
She further revealed that the joint bid among the four, and potentially five nations peradventure Bolivia joins the unit, is extremely strong and much stronger than Uruguay’s original bid on its own.
Vergara said: ‘Argentina’s victory is also the victory of our region. We can say we will have a bid that is sustainable, clear, austere during these times of our region and the world.’
Meanwhile, the South American bid to host the 2030 World Cup will contend with a joint offer from Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine.
However, it is reported that the Saudi Arabia-Greece-Egypt joint bid is currently the favorite, while Morocco is also rumored to be keen on hosting the tournament.
The voting on who will host the tournament will take place at the FIFA congress in 2024, which is made up of more than 200 members from all over the world.
What do you think about taking the 2030 World Cup tournament to South America to mark the 100th anniversary of the first-ever World Cup? Share your comment below.
