Co-hosting it with Morocco!

Really! Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting it, and because of it being the centenary, the first 3 matches are being played in South America: in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively (I think I've remembered the order correctly).

After all the times Morocco have bidded to host it and been turned down, it's probably good that they've finally got a chance.

They're restricting the bidding for 2034 to Asia and Oceania, because of where it's being played in 2026 and 2030. Which doesn't make sense, when it hasn't been played in South America since 2014 (and before that, not since 1978). And approximately a third of the games being played in Morocco in 2030 hardly seems a good reason to exclude Africa, where it hasn't been played since 2010 (and never before that) either.

On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 2:14:04 PM UTC+2, Mark wrote:
> Co-hosting it with Morocco!
>
> Really! Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting it, and because of it being the centenary, the first 3 matches are being played in South America: in Uruguay,
> Argentina and Paraguay respectively (I think I've remembered the order correctly).
>
> After all the times Morocco have bidded to host it and been turned down, it's probably good that they've finally got a chance.

There is little to celebrate about any of this. It's all a ploy to give 2034 to Saudi-Arabia by circumventing FIFA's own World Cup hosting
rules.

> They're restricting the bidding for 2034 to Asia and Oceania, because of where it's being played in 2026 and 2030. Which doesn't make sense,
> when it hasn't been played in South America since 2014 (and before that, not since 1978). And approximately a third of the games being played in Morocco in
> 2030 hardly seems a good reason to exclude Africa, where it hasn't been played since 2010 (and never before that) either.

From FIFA's point of view this makes perfect sense. It's the whole reason for this scheme.

Ciao,
Werner

On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 6:25:35 AM UTC-7, Werner Pichler wrote:

> There is little to celebrate about any of this. It's all a ploy to give 2034 to Saudi-Arabia by circumventing FIFA's own World Cup hosting
> rules.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding.

That is the one and only correct answer.

Mike

Mark escreveu:
> Co-hosting it with Morocco!
>
> Really! Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting it, and because of it
> being the centenary, the first 3 matches are being played in South America:
> in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively (I think I've remembered
> the order correctly).

Opener to be played at Estadio Centenario. The original South American bid
also had Chile as a co-host, but apparently they just got the short stick
with this new arrangement.

> They're restricting the bidding for 2034 to Asia and Oceania,

Namely yes, but it's going to be in Saudi Arabia. This is the end goal of this
whole thing.

> because of where it's being played in 2026 and 2030.

And there you have it, the actual reason why they're throwing these first
round matches across the Atlantic: so they could claim South America has
hosted it. The whole thing is convenient for Fifa, since it enables them to
take Saudi money while getting Europe, Africa and South America out of the
way at once (at least from the way they see it).

I guess they figured that with 48 teams and 72 first round matches (here I'm
presuming 12 groups of 4 teams), there are enough "resources" to throw around
for political appeasement.

I don't like seeing this being done to the centennial World Cup (or to any
other, really), but that's par for the course with Fifa unfortunately. Rather,
I'd prefer 2030/2034 in South America and Europe/Africa (and here I'd prefer
2030 in SA, but could easily live with them being switched around) and let the
Saudis get the 2038 one (or even 2042) if they really have to. After all, the Middle
East just got one in 2022.

Best regards,

Lléo

Werner Pichler wrote:
>
> There is little to celebrate about any of this. It's all a ploy to give
> 2034 to Saudi-Arabia by circumventing FIFA's own World Cup hosting
> rules.

FIFA played this well... they have contrived to get the result that Uncle
Gianni wanted.

FIFA is as good as any organised crime syndicate... just one that deals
in football as opposed to drugs or racketeering.

Mark wrote:
>
> They're restricting the bidding for 2034 to Asia and Oceania, because

.... that way Saudi Arabia can be awarded the FIFA World Cup for 2034.

Lléo wrote:
>
> I don't like seeing this being done to the centennial World Cup (or to
> any other, really), but that's par for the course with Fifa
> unfortunately.

FIFA have stolen the game! It's just corruption in the name of football.

On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 1:08:26 PM UTC-4, Lléo wrote:
> Namely yes, but it's going to be in Saudi Arabia. This is the end goal of this
> whole thing.

FIFA-bashing is always popular, but for the very large majority of football fans who anyway are going to only watch the WC on TV, does it really make any difference where the WC is played? (Other than the time zone where matches are played)

Futbolmetrix wrote:

> On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 1:08:26 PM UTC-4, Lléo wrote:
> > Namely yes, but it's going to be in Saudi Arabia. This is the end
> > goal of this whole thing.
>
> FIFA-bashing is always popular,

In all fairness, FIFA do bring a lot of it on themselves...

On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 8:34:09 PM UTC+2, Futbolmetrix wrote:
> On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 1:08:26 PM UTC-4, Lléo wrote:
> > Namely yes, but it's going to be in Saudi Arabia. This is the end goal of this
> > whole thing.
>
> FIFA-bashing is always popular, but for the very large majority of football fans who anyway are going to only watch the WC on TV, does it really make any
> difference where the WC is played? (Other than the time zone where matches are played)

Well, for one it will be another Winter World Cup, with all that entails.

Ciao,
Werner

On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 3:14:04 PM UTC+3, Mark wrote:
> Co-hosting it with Morocco!
>
> Really! Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting it

That's a nice combination, given how Spain and Portugal exited the last World Cup. :) I bet they'll have fun collaborating with each other. I wonder if they did it on purpose.