Governing Bodies
UK GOVERNMENT PLEDGES BACKING TO FIVE-NATION BID FOR 2030 FIFA WORLD CUP
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed a potential United Kingdom and Ireland bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, while indicating the country would be open to staging more matches at the delayed 2020 UEFA European Championship.
A joint bid from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales has been mooted for several years, with the English Football Association confirming exploratory talks back in 2018.
Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May in the same year confirmed her Government would back an effort to host the men’s tournament.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Johnson confirmed that his Government would support a bid with backing expected to be made in tomorrow’s budget.
“We are very, very keen to bring football home in 2030,” Johnson said.
“I do think it’s the right place.
“It’s the home of football, it’s the right time.
“It will be an absolutely wonderful thing for the country.”
A reported £2.8million ($3.8 million/€3.2 million) is set to be made available by the Government to support the bid for the tournament.
England last hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1966, which ended in the country’s sole triumph.
England has since launched unsuccessful bids for the 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Government support was welcomed by the five national football associations.
“The football associations and government partners of the UK and Ireland are delighted that the UK government has committed to support a prospective five-association bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” a joint statement read.
“We will continue to undertake feasibility work to assess the viability of a bid before FIFA formally open the process in 2022.
“Staging a FIFA World Cup would provide an incredible opportunity to deliver tangible benefits for our nations.
“If a decision is made to bid for the event, we look forward to presenting our hosting proposals to FIFA and the wider global football community.”
The proposed bid is expected to be the second European effort for the 2030 tournament, with Spain and Portugal having confirmed their plans to jointly stage the World Cup.
The European nations had initially considered a bid with Morocco, but the prospect of all three nations hosting was not welcomed by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
Morocco, which has unsuccessfully bid for the World Cup five times, could enter again alone or with North African neighbours Tunisia and Algeria.
A joint South American bid from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay is expected, with efforts centred on the centenary of the first tournament in Uruguay.
Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia have also expressed their intent to jointly bid for the tournament.
China has also been mooted as a potential contender.
England is set to host several matches at this year’s European Championship, which was delayed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wembley Stadium is set to hold group-stage matches, the semi-finals and the final.
UEFA has remained committed to holding Euro 2020 across 12 European cities, according to the schedule agreed last summer.
The governing body has asked the host cities to draw up plans for four different scenarios – full stadiums, 50 per cent capacity, 20 to 30 per cent capacity or behind closed doors.
Suggestions have been raised that the tournament could be held in one country or the number of hosts could be reduced amid the ongoing pandemic.
Johnson told The Sun that he would welcome the opportunity for England to host more matches.
“We are hosting the Euros,” Johnson said.
“We are hosting the semis and the final.
“If there’s, you know, if they want any other matches that they want hosted, we’re certainly on for that but at the moment that’s where we are with UEFA.”
Under current plans Munich, Rome, St Petersburg and Baku are also due to host quarter-finals as well as group-stage clashes.
Copenhagen, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bilbao, Glasgow and Budapest are the other venues, staging group-stage and last-16 encounters.
A decision is expected to be made in April on the capacity and location of venues for the tournament.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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