World Cup 2030 bid has Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay appealing to sentiment. But is it practical?
ESPNAug 03, 2022
Officials from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay launched a collective bid on Tuesday to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will take place exactly a century after the inaugural tournament was held in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Alejandro Domínguez, Pres. of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), stated during the ceremony at the Argentine FA headquarters that world soccer governing body FIFA has an obligation to honor the memory of those who organized the first World Cup.
This joint bid may be based on a strong sentimental appeal to celebrate the World Cup's centennial edition in its birthplace, but sentiment is all these countries can offer. Besides the fact that carrying out all the work necessary to make this bid feasible in six years would be too expensive and risky for a region that faces dire economic problems, South America recently hosted the 2014 tournament and the Western Hemisphere will host the 2026 edition.
Though the European bid to host the 2030 World Cup may be the only one combining modern sports infrastructures with economic rationality, FIFA should vote to return the tournament to its roots if the body is really seeking to close the gap between Europe and the rest of the world. A World Cup alone is not enough, but it would be a great start to ensure a more competitive and global sport.
There's an 80% chance that Brazil will win the FIFA World Cup by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.