There is increasing pessimism about the prospect of the five nations hosting the 2030 World Cup; officials fear they may be lagging behind Spain and Portugal, and an emotional joint South American bid, as it would mark the centenary of the first ever World Cup staged in Uruguay in 1930
Thursday 6 January 2022 15:41, UK
Britain and Ireland are considering a joint bid to host Euro 2028 - which would mean scrapping plans to stage the World Cup in 2030.
Sky Sports News can confirm a report in The Times that, as part of a feasibility study into all aspects of hosting the 2030 World Cup, FA bosses will also look at whether it's possible to bid for the 2028 Euros.
That feasibility study was due to be completed later in the spring, but it has now been fast-tracked, so that a decision can be taken in two months' time - UEFA's deadline for bid applications is March 23.
Behind the scenes, it's thought officials from the English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Northern Irish FAs believe they would stand a good chance of being given the nod for 2028 - partly because UEFA are considering increasing the number of participating teams to 32 for the first time.
An expanded tournament would mean greater demand on stadiums, training facilities and hotels - an area where the home nations and Ireland feel they could offer a particularly strong case.
Officials have also been given reassurances that the violent scenes at Wembley which marred the final of Euro 2020 last summer won't have any bearing on UEFA's decision.
In contrast, Sky Sports News has been told that there is increasing pessimism about the prospect of the five nations winning the right to host the 2030 World Cup.
Officials fear they may be lagging behind Spain and Portugal, and a joint South American bid which would have a big emotional pull, as it would mark the centenary of the first ever World Cup staged in Uruguay in 1930.
A key part of the feasibility study is to ascertain whether their bid would stand a reasonable chance of winning. All the FAs are reluctant to commit further resources into the application process if it is felt there is little chance of success.
