Introduction
According to Fifa, the 2030 World Cup will be held in six nations across three continents. The co-hosts have been announced as Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with the first three games taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. Due to the fact that the first tournament was held in Montevideo 100 years ago. The opening matches in South America will commemorate that milestone.
The decision will be approved in a Fifa congress the following year. Only proposals from nations in the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be taken into consideration for the 2034 finals, Fifa further stated. Following the choice, Saudi Arabia declared it would make its first attempt to host the competition in 2034.
FIFA President
In a statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “In 2030 World Cup, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents — Africa, Europe, and South America — and six countries — Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay — welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary, and the FIFA tournament.” The FIFA council had earlier declared the Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid to be “the only candidate,” reaffirming that “three South American countries will host games” while debating a strategy to merge competing bids.
To commemorate 100 years since the first tournament. Which was hosted by Uruguay and won by the hosts. Each of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will play in the tournament’s opening match.
Criticism on Decision
One group of supporters said that Fifa was involved in a cycle of destruction against the greatest World Cup tournament on earth. Because of its intention to spread the competition over several countries. It’s horrifying for fans, disregards the environment, and extends the white glove to a host for 2034. With a disgraceful history of upholding human rights. The tournament as we know it has come to an end, according to Football Supporters Europe.
Carbon-Neutral World Cup
After making “false statements” about the World Cup’s reduced environmental impact in Qatar in 2022. Fifa decided to spread the tournament over many continents. The first “fully carbon-neutral World Cup” was promised by Fifa, however the organisation was unable to back up its claims. Environmentalists cautioned that Fifa’s claim of carbon neutrality was “dangerous and misleading”. And that the event may have had a carbon footprint three times larger than claimed.
After making false claims about lowering its carbon footprint. Freddie Daley, a researcher for global economy policy at the University of Sussex. He calls Fifa’s move to spread the World Cup across three continents “concerning”. I’m not sure if Fifa will be able to host a World Cup of this size and scope in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner. As it will require a lot of air travel for athletes, fans, and officials, said Daley.
Saudi Bid
Following the hosting of numerous sporting events in the nation since 2018, including football, Formula 1, golf, and boxing. Saudi Arabia has decided to submit a proposal for the 2034 World Cup as part of its effort to become a global leader in sport. However, the Gulf state has been accused of “sportswashing”. Investing in sport and utilising high-profile events to boost its brand abroad. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated he doesn’t care about the claims in a recent interview with Fox News. Bin Salman declared, “We would continue to engage in sports washing if it will boost my GDP by 1%.
The head of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic and Paralympic committee. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, says the World Cup bid “constitutes an important and natural step in our journey as a country passionate about football.”