Lisbon: Portugal’s prime minister said that his government has had no official word from Madrid about joining with Spain and Morocco in a bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s an uncertain idea that has never been officially proposed to us. When it is, naturally we will have to study it,” Antonio Costa told Efe in an interview on Monday, adding that while hosting the World Cup could be beneficial, it would also be “expensive.”
He said that his government would have to consult with the Portuguese soccer federation and with the country’s other political parties, given that “a commitment so far in the future” requires consensus.
Relations among Portugal, Spain and Morocco are of “enormous strategic importance” and have the potential to bring greater dynamism to the dialogue between Europe and Africa, the prime minister said.
The idea of a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup was raised by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez earlier during talks in Rabat with Moroccan counterpart Saad Eddine El Othmani.
So far, the only official application to host the 2030 event has come from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, whose bid is seen as a strong one as Montevideo had hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930. (IANS)
