Winning formation

SPAIN’S dreams of hosting another FIFA World Cup is looking increasingly likely after contenders continue to drop out.

Saudi Arabia’s shock decision to pull out of the competition to host the 2030 World Cup on Thursday, June 22 has further cleared the path for Spain to host the global football extravaganza.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, informed their partners about their withdrawal from the World Cup bid. Initially, Saudi Arabia had intended to form a joint bid with Greece and Egypt but ultimately decided against it, before pulling out entirely.

It seems Saudi Arabia recognised the strength of the Spanish bid which also consists of Portugal and Morocco.

The idea of a joint Spanish­Portuguese bid had been suggested for years, but it was only in March that Morocco’s inclusion officially launched the bid. Previously, Ukraine had also been part of the Spanish­Portuguese coalition but later withdrew.

Now, the sole remaining contender is the South American bid consisting of Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay.