Spain and Portugal have been handed a huge boost in their bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The Iberian nations are hoping to land the world’s biggest tournament after it is held in Qatar and then USA, Canada and Mexico.
If successful, Spain would host the competition for the first time since 1982, and it is already looking good.
It was believed that the UK and Ireland were the biggest threat to Spain’s bid, but news this morning cleared that threat.
The UK and Ireland are instead bidding for Euro 2028, withdrawing interest from the World Cup two years later.
That could create a clear path for Spain and Portugal to get their showpiece tournament.
The UK and Ireland bid decision has been made because they feel they have a much better chance of getting Euro 2028.
Not only that but the European Championships offer a similar profit margin to the World Cup because of the reduced costs involved.
Nevertheless, Spain and Portugal will be delighted with the news, and so should the rest of the world given the host cities and stadiums on the cards.
Rival bids have not been forthcoming just yet, but there is talk of a joint Argentina and Uruguay bid, while China and South Korea have been tipped to make a bid, but both appear a long way off.
The decision on which countries will host the 2030 World Cup is set to be voted on at the end of this year, after the 2022 World Cup has been completed.
