By Victor Kanayo
Indications emerged on Wednesday that FIFA will announce the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups.
Already, three continents and six nations, led by Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and Saudi Arabia, are at the top of the bid.
In October last year, the global soccer governing body said there were no competing bids for the two tournaments, making Wednesday’s decision little more than a formality.
A day before the announcement, it was still not clear exactly what format a vote on the decision would adopt, with acceptance by “acclamation” expected rather than a formal vote.
On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would vote against the awarding of hosting rights by acclamation and criticised FIFA’s bidding process, saying it was “flawed and inconsistent.”
Morocco, Spain, and Portugal’s combined proposal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six countries to mark the tournament’s centenary, with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay hosting celebratory games.
Uruguay hosted the first-ever World Cup in 1930.
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay had, in 2022, submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, but FIFA announced last year that Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay would instead each host one match during the tournament.
Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbors Qatar staged the 2022 edition.
Australia and Indonesia were in talks over a joint bid for the 2034 tournament but dropped out before Saudi Arabia was announced as the sole bidder.
