Great Britain and Ireland’s ambitions of staging the 2030 World Cup given BIG boost by Euro 2020 semis and final staying at Wembley… as they look to fend off competition from European candidates Spain and Portugal
Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland’s chances of hosting the 2030 World Cup received a significant boost with the UK government allowing UEFA officials to avoid quarantine regulations so that the Euro final could take place at Wembley next month.
The home nation football associations and the Football Association of Ireland are currently conducting a feasibility study on whether to bid for the World Cup, but will first have to get UEFA’s endorsement to have a chance of winning.
Spain and Portugal are also bidding to be the European candidate but the Spanish government’s weak response to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid joining the European Super League contrasted with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s threat to place a legislative bomb under it, which means that the UK is in an unusually good position with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
Wembley is staging both the European Championship semi-finals and final in July
And FA chief executive Mark Bullingham says that keeping the semi-finals and final at Wembley was important for cementing the favourable relationship with UEFA.
‘Overall our relationship with UEFA, not just from a government point of view, but from an FA point of view, is massively important,’ said Bullingham. ‘We absolutely wanted to keep that the final.
‘There were lots of things in my mind when we were having those discussions, that [the World Cup bid] was one of them, aside from the fact the fact that we’ve had a team that has sweated blood for three to four years on this tournament.
The UK are in an unusually good position with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at present
‘Not to be able to stage the semi-finals and final would be heart-breaking for them. I think we got to a really sensible place.
‘We have got lots of credit from lots of different parts of football from around the world for the way in which the European Super League ended and that’s great. We were a key part of that and we’re proud of the role we played.
‘I think there were other aspects as well, I think the French and the German clubs not joining was critical, I think UEFA did a really good job, being really firm early on and I think our fans were fantastic.’
Spain and Portugal are the other European candidates running to stage the 2030 World Cup