Boris Johnson has pledged £2.8m of government support to a joint UK and Ireland bid for the 2030 World Cup, saying it is the “right time” to “bring football home”.
The tournament has not been staged in the UK since England won their home World Cup in 1966.
A feasibility study is under way and will continue before a formal bidding process begins next year.
“We are very, very keen to bring football home in 2030. I do think it’s the right place,” the Prime Minister said in an interview with The Sun.
“It’s the home of football, it’s the right time. It will be an absolutely wonderful thing for the country.”
The Football Association said that it welcomed “the Government’s pledge of £2.8million towards a potential bid”.
A joint statement released by the FA and the football associations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland on Monday evening read: “The football associations and Government partners of the UK and Ireland are delighted that the UK Government has committed to support a prospective five-association bid for the 2030 Fifa World Cup.
“We will continue to undertake feasibility work to assess the viability of a bid before Fifa formally open the process in 2022.
“Staging a Fifa World Cup would provide an incredible opportunity to deliver tangible benefits for our nations.
“If a decision is made to bid for the event, we look forward to presenting our hosting proposals to FIFA and the wider global football community.”
The 2022 World Cup will take place in Qatar next year, while the 2026 tournament is to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Mr Johnson’s predecessor as Prime Minister, Theresa May, previously pledged the government’s support for a 2030 bid.
She said two years ago: “The decision on whether to bid is for the football associations to make.
“If they decide to go forward, they can count on this government’s full support.”
England failed with a bid to host the 2018 World Cup with a campaign fronted by David Beckham, Prince William and former prime minister David Cameron.
The bid flopped after receiving only two of 22 Fifa votes, with the tournament evetually going to Russia.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3bPBf4I
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