The Greek government confirmed this Wednesday that talks are underway with the authorities of Saudi Arabia and Egypt to study the presentation of a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“We are still in the early stages of exploring the possibilities of a candidacy,” Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Lefteris Avgenakis said on his Twitter account.
The comment follows a report published by Politico that Saudi Arabia offered funding for new stadiums in Greece and Egypt, which it lost in five attempts to promote the event. In exchange, among other things, the Saudis will receive 75% of calls on their territory.
The ruler says there are several “inaccuracies” in the article, although he does not specify which ones.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s first visit to Conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was during his visit to Riyadh in the summer of 2022, according to Politico.
The World Cup has never been hosted on more than one continent at the same time, and in 2026 there will be a record three host countries, namely the US, Canada and Mexico.
A possible tripartite candidacy to host World Cup 20230 is attractive in that it brings Europe, Asia and Africa together in one project that will compete with the UEFA-supported partnership between Portugal, Spain and Ukraine as an example of peace and tolerance.
There is also the South American candidacy, which includes Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, which organized the first event with the possibility of joining Bolivia 100 years ago.
In 2019, the President of Colombia promised to join Peru and Ecuador in an alternative way that was never formalized.
The decision on the organizer of the 2030 World Cup will be made at the FIFA general meeting, which will be held in 2024, at the congress of 211 football associations.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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