Saudi Arabia is poised to announce a joint bid with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup which if successful would mean the tournament being played in the winter again.
Sources with knowledge of the process say an announcement is imminent and follows talks at senior government levels. As with the World Cup in Qatar this year, if the bid is successful the tournament would have to be played in the winter to avoid the extreme temperatures of June/July.
It is understood that Saudi Arabia would be the lead partner and would pay for or at least contribute to the other two countries’ infrastructure costs. Since 2017, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a huge programme to bring sports events to the oil-rich Gulf
