The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a huge success with many fans from all around the world tuning in to watch the grand competition and it was expected that another Middle Eastern country in Saudi Arabia will look to bid to host the competition in 2030. Saudi Arabia was planning to co-host the tournament with Egypt and Greece but has decided to withdraw its bid due to various reasons.
According to reports, one of the reasons is the belief that a European nation or nations should host the World Cup, as it is considered the prime football competition. Another reason is the lack of time to prepare for the bid, as Saudi Arabia joined the race relatively late compared to other candidates. The third reason could be that there is uncertainty over the political situation in Egypt, which could affect the security and stability of the event.
Saudi Arabia had ambitious plans to co-host the World Cup, as it was willing to fund the construction of stadiums and infrastructure in Egypt and Greece. The country also made a huge splash in the football world by signing some of the biggest stars in the game, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’golo Kante for its domestic league. Regardless, it appears the World Cup will once again be held in some country in the west with Spain and Argentina being the frontrunners.
With Saudi Arabia out of the picture, there are still several contenders for the 2030 World Cup with the most prominent one being the joint bid from South America, involving Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay This bid has a strong historical appeal, as Uruguay hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930. Spain is also in the mix with their joint bid with Portugal and Morrocco and it appears that they are currently leading the race. Spain has not hosted a World Cup since 1982, but they are hoping to end a 48-year wait by hosting the biggest tournament in world football in 2030.
