South American countries Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay on Tuesday submitted a joint bid for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“This is the dream of a continent,” said Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
“There will be more World Cups, but the Cup only turns 100 one time, and it needs to come home,” Dominguez said in an event at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium, where Uruguay defeated Argentina to win the first ever World Cup.
If their bid is accepted, it would bring the global spectacle back to Uruguay a century after it hosted the first World Cup in 1930.
“It’s just for the World Cup to be hosted where it all began 100 years later,” Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association, told reporters.
Dominguez said there are “more than sufficient” reasons for FIFA to accept the four countries’ single candidacy. Argentina and Chile also hosted the pinnacle tournament of football, in 1978 and 1962, respectively which can help strengthen their case.
South American contries’ main rivals for the World Cup bid appear to be Spain and Portugal who last month submitted a joint bid to host the tournament as well.
The 2030 World Cup will follow the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The decision on which countries will host the 2030 showpiece event is set to be voted on at the end of this year after the 2022 World Cup has been completed.
