Greg Dyke says England may launch bid to host 2030 World Cup

By Mark Crellin

Greg Dyke has called the election of Infantino a 'good day' for football

FA chairman Greg Dyke says England may bid to host the 2030 World Cup following Gianni Infantino's election as FIFA president.

The FA attempted to host the 2018 tournament but were well beaten in the vote, which was won by Russia.

Sepp Blatter was president at the time and Dyke says the FA ruled out trying to host big tournaments while he remained in charge.

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However, having been elected president for a fifth time last May, Blatter announced his resignation days later as FIFA was engulfed by scandal and he is now contesting a six-year ban from football.

The extraordinary sequence of events surrounding world football's governing body took a new turn on Friday when the FA's preferred candidate Infantino upset pre-election favourite Sheikh Salman at the extraordinary congress in Zurich.

Image: Infantino has been elected as the president of FIFA

And Dyke said Infantino's success could tempt the FA to enter the bidding to host a World Cup at some stage.

"The reason we wouldn't deal with a Blatter FIFA is because we didn't think we'd win," he said.

Scottish FA chiefexecutive Stewart Regan was pleased with the result

"And there was so much bad blood from the last time we tried - at Government level as well as at the FA level. It was almost impossible to deal with him.

"This is a new day, a new dawn. I think we will certainly try to win some tournaments.

"[The World Cup in] 2026 will go to North America, but we will maybe go for 2030."

Infantino has promised to restore credibility to world football's governing body

Dyke, who leaves the FA in the summer, thinks the election of Infantino is great news for FIFA as the organisation begins the process of reform.

Dyke said: "There's a big job to be done but at least we've got a reform programme and at least we've got a president in whom we can trust.

"He is very competent, very organised, very together. Not a showman, but good fun. He has got a lot of qualities and it will be very good for FIFA."

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