Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay have submitted a joint application to host the 2030 World Cup, which will be staged 100 years after the first event in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Officials from the four countries gathered on Tuesday with Alejandro Dominguez, head of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), to declare their endeavour to return the event back to “where football was founded”.
“The 2030 World Cup is not just another World Cup, it deserves a celebration with recognition for 100 years,” Dominguez remarked during the ceremony at the offices of the Argentine Football Association in Ezeiza, south of Buenos Aires.
“We are convinced that FIFA has an obligation to honour the memory of those who came before us and believed in greatness and made the first World Cup.”
With FIFA set to select a host for the 2030 World Cup next year, competition among nations vying to host the world’s most popular sporting event has heated up.
Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine have also agreed to a joint proposal, which has the support of European regulatory body UEFA, while Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Greece, and Egypt are said to be considering bids.
The World Cup is held every four years, with Qatar becoming the first Middle Eastern country to host the event late last year.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada will cohost the next tournament in 2026, marking the first time that three countries will co-host.
The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, when the home country defeated Argentina 4-2 to become the first world champions. Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar following a thrilling penalty shootout against France in December 2022.