2030 World Cup: Saudi Arabia, Egypt & Greece set for joint bid

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece are set to announce a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup, according to reports.

A successful bid by the trio would mean a second winter World Cup for fans, due to the extreme temperatures in the regions throughout June and July each year.

This year’s tournament in Qatar is set to be hosted in November and December for that very reason and has proven a widely unpopular choice amongst fans and league associations.

The report according to The Times, per The Daily Mail, states that an announcement of the combined bid is on the horizon following lengthy talks between senior government officials.

Saudi Arabia would act as the leading entity in the group, contributing to the infrastructure costs of its partner nations in what appears to be the latest move from the Gulf state to bring large scale sporting events to the nation.

If successful, it would be the first time a World Cup has been held across three different continents (Asia, Africa and Europe) and therefore the bid is expected to draw pockets of support from each region.

However, it’s also worth noting that the decision would likely prove widely unpopular yet again for many involved in the game.

Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, are known to have vastly different cultures and practices to much of the western world. Some of which violate clear human rights laws in the eyes of many of the nations that would be taking part – which poses an obvious ethical dilemma.

The prospect of a second winter World Cup is obviously not all that enticing for fans, either.

Whilst league associations would likely oppose the bid because of the disruption it would cause to the regular club football season.

Well, if you’ve just read through that with a sense of