In a new development, Greece and Saudi Arabia have decided to withdraw their joint bid, alongside Egypt, to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. This decision comes after Greece faced criticism for aligning itself with countries accused of human rights abuses. The joint bid, which was announced earlier this year, aimed to persuade FIFA to award the hosting rights to the coalition.
The Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS), reportedly had privately assured Greece that his country would finance the construction of all the required stadiums if Greece joined the bid. Under the proposed arrangement, Saudi Arabia would host 75 percent of the matches during the tournament. However, the partnership faced backlash for potentially disregarding human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Critics argued that the bid was an attempt by Saudi Arabia to leverage its wealth and manipulate the voting system. Ali Walker of POLITICO even expressed that the report would “fuel criticism that Saudi Arabia is effectively attempting to use its astronomical wealth to buy the World Cup by creating a trans-continental coalition to cleverly take advantage of the voting system.” The decision to abandon the trilateral bid reflects the mounting opposition and scrutiny faced by Greece.
With the Greek-Saudi-Egyptian bid no longer in the running, attention now turns to other joint bids that have been confirmed or rumored. South American nations Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay have joined forces to present a quadrilateral bid to host the World Cup, while Spain and Portugal have submitted their joint bid known as the ‘Iberian Bid.’ Ukraine has also recently joined this bid, with the intention of hosting one group during the tournament.
As FIFA has yet to announce the host nation or nations for the 2030 World Cup, the competition to secure the prestigious event continues. The decision holds particular significance as it marks 100 years since the first tournament was held in 1930 in Uruguay.
