UEFA president likes British co-host bid for 2030 World Cup
MONACO (AP) — UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says Britain should again host the World Cup in 2030, more than 60 years after England won its home tournament.
"After all these years it's time for that part of Europe to get the World Cup," Ceferin said on Friday at a briefing.
The UEFA leader also suggested it "would be a wise idea" for the federations to work together rather than England bid alone.
FIFA prefers multi-nation bids for an expanded 48-team tournament after awarding the 2026 hosting rights to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Though the 2030 contest is not officially open, South American soccer leaders are already promoting a three-way centenary bid by Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, which was the original World Cup host in 1930.
"Infrastructure in the (United Kingdom) is very good and, in a way, if more countries bid there is more chance to win," Ceferin said of an election by more than 200 FIFA member federations.
Initial talks were held in Moscow in June by officials from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
They agreed to revisit the subject when they met in a Moscow hotel after the North Americans' victory over Morocco.
Ceferin said the 55-member UEFA confederation needs to unite around one candidate.
"I don't want Europe to be divided because of the World Cup bid, and if there was more than one it would be divided as the voting is public," he said. "I don't want people to choose between one and another European bidder."
Europe has never had to skip three editions of the World Cup. Qatar is to host in 2022 ahead of the North American edition.
