Scotland's joint bid to host 2030 World Cup gets PM’S backing
A joint bid by England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland to host the 2030 World Cup has received support from the UK government, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it is the "right time" to "bring football home".
A feasibility study is under way and will continue before the formal bidding process begins next year.
In an interview with the Sun, the prime minister said :" we are very, very keen to bring football home in 2030. I do think it's the rightplace.it'sthehomeoffootball, it's the right time. It will be an absolutely wonderful thing for the country."
The English Football Association said on Twitter that it welcomed "the government's pledge of £2.8 million towards a potential bid" for the 2030 World Cup.
A joint statement by the associations of Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland on Monday read: "The football associations and government partners of the UK and Ireland are delighted the UK governmenthas committed to support a prospective five-association bid for the 2030 fifa world cup.
"We will continue to undertake feasibility work to assess the viability of a bid before Fifa formally open the process in 2022. Staging a Fifa World Cup would provide an incredible opportunity to deliver tangible benefits for our nations.
"If a decision is made to bid for the event, we look forward to presenting our hosting proposals to FIFA and the wider global football community."
The 2022 world cup will be in Qatar next year while the 2026 tournament is to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.