Fifa World Cup: notion of China hosting in 2030 fades from the conversation
- The likes of South America, Saudi Arabia and Morocco have gained ground as potential destinations for the tournament
- China’s isolation during Covid-19 and travails of the property development sector have weakened its position, even if it is still a key market
Through the four weeks of Qatar 2022, as the global football community gathered for its quadrennial jamboree, one question has been on nobody’s lips: when will China bid to host the World Cup?
Once among the hottest topics in the game’s corridors of power, China is now far removed from the growing debate around the destination of the 2030 edition.
Where China was previously seen as a serious contender – perhaps even the favourite – the focus has shifted to a plethora of co-hosting options elsewhere.
Traditionalists keen to recognise Uruguay’s hosting of the inaugural finals in 1930 tend to favour a South American bid featuring the original organisers working alongside neighbours Argentina, Chile and Paraguay as part of the World Cup’s centenary celebrations.
The ongoing finals in Qatar have highlighted the strength of feeling for the sport in the Arab world, with a move by an increasingly assertive Saudi Arabia working alongside Egypt and Greece also gathering momentum. Other options, including a Morocco-led bid, are also being discussed by football’s chattering classes.