- England haven’t bid for the World Cup since 2010 when they received two votes
- Victor Montagliani said ‘it’s time’ for the United Kingdom to host tournament
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why Liverpool fans must not let Trent Alexander-Arnold row spoil their title party
A leading FIFA official has called for England to host the World Cup for the first time since their home success in 1966.
The tournament in 1966 represents the nation’s only World Cup triumph after they beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley courtesy of a Sir Geoff Hurst hat-trick.
And FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani – who runs football in north and central America, as well as the Caribbean, in his role as president of Concacaf – has suggested England should throw their hat into the ring to host the tournament in 2038.
In 2010, England bid to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively. After European nations were effectively disqualified from hosting 2022, they instead focused on 2018.
But England – whose bid was fronted by the likes of Prince William and David Beckham – received just two out of 22 votes from the executive committee in the first round of voting in a process mired in claims of widespread corruption at FIFA.
Montagliani has said the FA should try to play hosts again, with the United Kingdom as a whole apparently an ideal place for the global showpiece to be held.
FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani has called for England to bid to host the World Cup for the first time sine 1966
England, currently led by Thomas Tuchel, could travel to several different continents for the next three tournaments
1966 represented England’s only win in a men’s World Cup after beating West Germany 4-2 in the final
England had bid to host the 2018 World Cup in a project fronted by Prince William (left) and David Beckham (right)
‘I can’t see why, not just England but the United Kingdom shouldn’t be hosting the World Cup,’ the official told The Times. ‘I think it would be a fantastic World Cup and I think they should seriously think of putting their foot forward to host.
‘We all know what the game means in the UK and I think it’s time.’
The upcoming World Cups will be held in five different continents. 2026 will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Portugal, Spain and Morocco to play hosts four years later. Anniversary matches will also take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia is then due to stage the tournament in 2034. Recent bids were awarded without going through a vote on rival bids.
‘I think the old way we used to do it where people just waste their money and then all these shenanigans happen – that’s ridiculous,’ Montagliani added. ‘Let’s get away from that.
‘Let’s become a proper business. Let’s have an event management strategy so that we’re properly rotating it, everybody gets a crack at it.
‘The reality is that the World Cup generates 80 to 90 per cent of FIFA’s income, which then sends 80 per cent of that back to its members for the development of football, and if FIFA doesn’t generate that money there is a significant number of the 211 countries that do not have the funds to develop football.’
The UK will host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, which could provide a launching pad for another bid to host the men’s competition.
The UK and Ireland will also stage the men’s Euros in 2028.
