A joint statement released by the FA and the football associations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland on Monday evening read: “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.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the Irish and UK bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup is “very exciting news”. At the Cabinet meeting this morning, Mr Martin said the Government will “do everything we can to add value to that proposition”. He added, the idea of Ireland being a location for major events is something successive governments have been pushing for.
The partners involved in the bidding process include the Irish Government, Irish Football Association and Football Association of Ireland, English Football Association, Scottish Football Association, Football Association of Wales and UK government, Scottish government, Welsh Assembly government, the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Sport.
Minister for Sport Jack Chambers stated, “I am delighted that the UK Government has committed to support a prospective association bid for the 2030 World Cup. My Department will continue feasibility work, together with partners, to assess the viability of a bid. We look forward to extensive engagement in the coming months.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says it is the “right time” for the United Kingdom and Ireland to launch a bid to host the 20230 FIFA World Cup , while he added the country would also be willing to host extra Euro 2020 matches this year if required.
The FIFA World Cup has only been held on British shores once before, when England triumphed on home soil in 1966.
The 2022 World Cup will take place in Qatar, while the 2026 tournament is to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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