FIFA will confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Wednesday, with a joint bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal set to be awarded the former, and the latter being handed to Saudi Arabia. The awarding of hosting rights for both tournaments will go to a vote during a FIFA Congress to be held virtually, but there is no doubt about the outcomes with neither bid having a rival. The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the bid will also see the South American nation handed a game along with Argentina and Paraguay.

That makes it a remarkable and completely unprecedented bid, involving three different continental confederations.

FIFA already confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.

A joint British and Irish bid was abandoned when they decided to focus on hosting Euro 2028, while there were suggestions of a bid from South Korea, China, Japan and North Korea.

Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began.

In late 2022, UEFA promoted a bid uniting Spain and Portugal with war-torn Ukraine in a show of “solidarity” following the Russian invasion.

However, Ukraine was quietly dropped from that candidacy last year as Morocco joined forces with the Iberian neighbours, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for being awarded the hosting of three games, one each for Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

Morocco plans mega stadium

Following these “centenary celebrations” in the comparative chill of the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved — along with their fans — will have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to play a part in the remaining 101 matches.

This tentacular tournament will conclude with the final on July 21, and it is yet to be seen where that game will be staged.

Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, is set to be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums.

Morocco — which has tried and failed on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament — will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010.

Potential venues for the final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou, as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, which is set to become “the biggest stadium in the world” with a capacity of 115,000.

Portugal, which hosted Euro 2004, will offer two stadiums in Lisbon and one in Porto, and hopes to stage a semi-final.

Human rights concerns

As for 2034, FIFA invoked its principle of continental rotation, therefore only welcoming bids from Asia or Oceania — the 2026 World Cup, the first involving 48 teams, will take place across North America.

Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month late last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest.

That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region following Qatar’s hosting in 2022.

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time now to amass influence and improve its global image.

Being handed the 2034 World Cup will be a crowning moment, and Saudi will win despite currently only boasting two stadiums with a capacity of 40,000, when 14 are required.

Beyond that logistical challenge, the baking temperatures in the northern hemisphere summer could mean pushing the tournament back to later in the year, as happened in 2022.

However, the fact that Ramadan will take place in December that year is an added complication.

Moreover, the awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as in 2022.

Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted too.

Saudi Arabia, which is hosting several high-profile events including Formula One and the WTA Finals tennis, is often accused of “sportswashing” — using sport to divert attention from its rights record.

Colombia avenged their Copa America final defeat with a 2-1 victory over Argentina while Brazil crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. Skipper James Rodriguez buried a nerveless 60th-minute spot-kick to seal a hard-fought win for Colombia over the reigning world champions, who were without injured captain Lionel Messi. It was sweet revenge for Colombia, who were beaten 1-0 by Argentina in a bitterly disappointing Copa America final loss in Miami two months ago.

“I don’t think I’ve ever scored against them — there’s a first time for everything,” Colombia captain Rodriguez said of his winning spot-kick.

“We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything — this victory tastes even better.”

The victory at Barranquilla’s Metropolitano Stadium lifted Colombia into second place in South America’s 10-team qualifying competition with 16 points from eight points, just two points behind leaders Argentina.

Colombia, backed by a passionate home crowd, took the lead in the 25th minute when Rodriguez chipped a cross to the back post where Yerson Mosquera rose to head home.

But three minutes after the interval, the visitors drew level when a misplaced pass from Rodriguez was pounced upon by Nicolas Gonzalez, who raced away and slotted past advancing Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas.

Twelve minutes later, though, Colombia restored their lead in controversial fashion.

Nicolas Otamendi clattered Daniel Munoz with a wild challenge and after several minutes, Chilean referee Piero Maza was sent to the VAR monitor and awarded a penalty.

Rodriguez stepped up and confidently slotted home, sending Argentina’s penalty specialist Emiliano Martinez the wrong way.

Colombia striker Jhon Duran missed a great chance to make it 3-1 when he was found unmarked in the centre of the box but fired straight at Martinez.

Brazil stumble

Despite the defeat, Argentina remain comfortably on course for a place at the 2026 World Cup which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, the top six finishers in South American qualifying will win a berth to the finals. 

The seventh placed team in qualifying goes into an inter-confederation playoff, with the bottom three teams eliminated.

Five-time world champions Brazil meanwhile continued their unconvincing qualifying campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in Asuncion.

Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez — who is reportedly due to join Premier League side Brighton at the end of the season — scored the game’s only goal, crashing a long-range shot in off the post in the 20th minute.

The defeat leaves Brazil in fifth place in the standings on 10 points, leading by goal difference from Venezuela, who drew 0-0 at home to Uruguay on Tuesday.

Paraguay meanwhile moved into seventh place on nine points after just their second win of the qualifying campaign.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Chile’s hopes of qualifying suffered another body blow after they slumped to a 2-1 loss at home to Bolivia.

After winning back-to-back Copa Americas in 2015 and 2016, the Chileans failed to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The prospect of missing out on a third straight tournament loomed closer after goals from Carmelo Algaranaz and Miguel Terceros handed Bolivia a 2-1 win.

The victory left Chile languishing in ninth place in the standings with just five points from eight games as Bolivia climbed into eighth, trailing seventh-placed Paraguay on goal difference.

Ecuador meanwhile boosted their qualification hopes with a 1-0 win over Peru in Quito thanks to a goal from veteran striker Enner Valencia.

Ecuador sit in fourth place in the standings with 11 points from eight games. Peru remain bottom of the table with just three points from 10 games.

File image of Luis Suarez.© AFP

Colombia marched into the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Friday with a confident 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Arizona. Goals from Luis Diaz, Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Cordoba sealed all three points for the Colombians, who are now guaranteed a top-two finish in Group D. Colombia will qualify for the quarter-finals as group winners if they can secure at least a point against Brazil — a 4-1 winner over Paraguay in Friday’s other Copa contest — in their final group game next Tuesday.

The Colombians will head into that game brimming with confidence after extending their unbeaten streak to 25 games at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium on Friday.

Nestor Lorenzo’s well-organised side have not lost since a defeat to Argentina in February 2022, and never looked in danger of changing that Friday.

Liverpool star Diaz opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 31st minute after Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira inexplicably crashed into Cordoba on the edge of the area.

Diaz stepped up to smash an emphatic spot-kick into the top corner.

Colombia almost doubled their tally on 37 minutes, with veteran midfielder James Rodriguez picking out Diaz at the back post.

Diaz poked a cross into the six-yard area but center-back Sanchez just couldn’t get a touch to guide the ball into the net.

Sanchez made no such mistake in the 59th minute, however, as he glanced in Jhon Arias’s cross from the left to make it 2-0.

Cordoba then grabbed Colombia’s third on 62 minutes with the best goal of the game.

An exquisite through ball from Rodriguez split the Costa Rica defence and sent Cordoba racing in on goal, with the 31-year-old whipping a shot across goal into the far corner.

Brazil winner in Vegas

In Las Vegas, the Brazilians — coming off a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica — jumped to a 3-0 halftime edge over Paraguay on the way to victory after squandering a golden chance to open the scoring.

Paraguay’s Adrian Cubas, who would receive a red card in the 81st minute, committed a foul in the penalty area, but Brazil’s Lucas Paqueta missed from the spot in the 31st minute.

But Paqueta delivered an assist to set up Vincius Junior’s goal in the 35th minute that gave Brazil a 1-0 lead.

Savinho doubled Brazil’s lead with a goal in the 43rd minute and Vincius Junior gave Brazil a 3-0 half-time lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time, racing in behind the play and delivering a right-footed shot just inside the left post.

Paraguay answered in the 48th minute on a goal by Omar Alderete but Paqueta scored on a redemption penalty kick in the 65th minute for a 4-1 Brazil lead and that’s how it finished.

James Rodriguez rolled back the years with a vintage performance to help Colombia open their Copa America campaign with a 2-1 victory over Paraguay in Houston on Monday. Rodriguez, whose club career has languished in the decade since he rose to prominence with a dazzling performance at the 2014 World Cup, created both of his team’s goals in a deserved Group D victory at the NRG Stadium. The 32-year-old midfielder, who has played just a handful of minutes for Brazilian club Sao Paulo in the two months leading into the Copa America, set up the opening goal for Colombia in the 32nd minute.

After finding space on the left flank, Rodriguez flighted a pinpoint cross to the far post to pick out Daniel Munoz, who beat Paraguay goalkeeper Rodrigo Morinigo with a firm downward header to make it 1-0.

Ten minutes later Colombia doubled their lead and again it was a goal engineered by the trusty left boot of Rodriguez.

This time the goal arrived from the opposite flank, with Rodriguez swinging in a wicked free-kick that was glanced in by Crystal Palace midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

That made it 2-0 at half-time to leave Colombia firmly on course to extend their unbeaten streak to 24 games.

Colombia continued to carve out the better chances in the second half, but Paraguay set up a nervy finish after Brighton and Hove Albion’s Julio Enciso pulled one back in the 69th minute.

Ramon Sosa crossed from the left and Enciso punished slack marking in the Colombia area to hook an angled first-time volley into the bottom corner past Camilo Vargas.

Colombia, however, controlled play after the Paraguay goal and looked the more threatening team.

How may I assist you? pic.twitter.com/xlDE0FrTnF

— CONMEBOL Copa AmericaENG (@copaamerica_ENG) June 25, 2024

The Colombians thought they had earned a penalty in the 84th minute when another teasing Rodriguez cross into the box ended with defender Yerry Mina appearing to be hauled down by Gustavo Velazquez.

Argentinian referee Dario Herrera pointed to the spot but subsequently overturned the decision after a VAR review.

Colombia play Costa Rica in their second group game of the tournament on Friday, before wrapping up their first round campaign against Brazil on July 2.

Brazil open their Copa America campaign against the Costa Ricans in Inglewood, California, later on Monday.