SANTIAGO, Chile: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera announced on Thursday.
Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay had already submitted a joint bid to host the centenary edition of football’s most prestigious tournament, but Pinera said on Twitter that those countries’ presidents had agreed to Chile’s participation in the “joint candidacy.”
Argentina and Uruguay originally announced their intention to submit a joint bid in 2017 before Paraguay joined the coalition later that year.
In December last year, Bolivia’s football-mad president Evo Morales offered those three countries help in their bid, proposing “two or three departments as sub-seats” for the competition.
Had his offer been accepted, it would have meant the Hernando Siles Reyes stadium in La Paz potentially included as a host venue.
Pinera said he had been touting his idea to the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay for several months.
Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural World Cup in 1930, Chile was the venue in 1962 and Argentina emulated its neighbor’s achievement by lifting the trophy on home soil in 1978.
Like Morales, Mauricio Macri of Argentina, Uruguay’s Tabare Vazquez and Paraguayan Mario Abdo Benitez are all passionate about football having all been president of a club in their countries.
Pinera is a billionaire businessman who started out as a teacher and has no previous connection to football.
The South American bid faces competition from Morocco and potentially several other joint bids, including one from Britain and Ireland and another by an eastern European confederation of Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has even mooted a joint bid with Morocco, which has failed five times in bidding to host the World Cup, and Portugal.
Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to present joint 2030 World Cup bid
Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to present joint 2030 World Cup bid
- Spain is mooting a joint bid with Morocco and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup
- An eastern European confederation of Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania is also bidding as host.
Saudi boxing’s inaugural ‘Kingdom’s Belt’ Championship crowns winners in Riyadh
- Record participation of 246 fighters highlights growing momentum of boxing across the Kingdom
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation staged its inaugural “Kingdom’s Belt” Championship in Riyadh this week, with champions crowned on Saturday after four days of competition.
Held at the Mike Tyson Club in Boulevard City, the tournament featured 246 male and female fighters representing 46 clubs from across the Kingdom — the largest turnout for a domestic boxing championship organized by the federation.
Athletes qualified through regional tournaments, setting up national-level competition across multiple weight divisions in both men’s and women’s categories.
The championship formed part of the federation’s official calendar and was run under technical and administrative supervision, with bouts conducted in line with approved regulations and officiating standards.
Fighters progressed through preliminary rounds and semifinals before Saturday’s finals, where winners received the Kingdom’s belts during the closing ceremony.
The event showcased competitive matchups across divisions and highlighted the continued growth of organized boxing in Saudi Arabia.
Federation officials said the tournament represents an important addition to the domestic calendar, offering athletes a structured pathway to compete nationally while supporting efforts to develop the sport across the Kingdom.
