Madrid, July 20: Buoyed by their win in the World Cup this summer, Spain are set to push for co-hosting the 2018 tournament with neighbouring Portugal, Secretary of State for Sports Jaime Lissavetsky said on Tuesday.
“Spain’s next challenge is to organise the 2018 World Cup,” Lissavetsky said in an address to the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) general assembly meeting.
Spain and Portugal hope to pool their resources — as Japan and South Korea did in 2002 — for 2018 after Brazil hosts the next edition in 2014.
Belgium and the Netherlands are also preparing a joint 2018 bid and other candidates are England, the United States, Russia and Australia.
Fifa is to elect the winning bid on December 2 at a meeting of its executive committee.
RFEF chairman Angel Maria Villar said that “Spain and Portugal are in the race” for 2018, but admitted that it would likely prove difficult to see off the opposition — Spain hosted the event as recently as 1982. But he stressed that in the event of failure there would be a renewed bid for 2022.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, Australian football officials remain confident in their bid for the 2022 World Cup despite reports that China wants to host the 2026 tournament.
There is little likelihood of Asian countries hosting two World Cups in succession, which means any formal bid from China would put enormous pressure on 2022 bids by Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea.
Football Federation Australia said it was confident China’s interest in hosting the 2026 tournament would not impact its chances.
“We can’t and don’t really want to comment directly about whatever anyone else may or may not be doing,” an FFA spokesman told The Australian newspaper.
“However, we are very confident that we have a compelling case to host the Fifa World Cup in 2022,” he added.