Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Greece set for joint 2030 World Cup bid

World Cup

A reported joint bid for the 2030 World Cup is set to be made by a trio consisting of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece.

If successful, the bid will see the World Cup hosted in Africa for the first time since 2010, and should Egypt’s reported effort alongside Greece and Saudi Arabia go through, it will see Africa be the co-host of the global bonanza.

The bidding process for hosting the 2010 tournament finals was open only to African nations, and in 2004, FIFA selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals.

Meanwhile, if the three nations win the bid, it means the matches will have to be played in winter again and not in the usual June/July period, just like the 2022 one – which is the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world.

If the three-nation bid sees the light of the day, it means it will be staged in the middle of the European domestic season due to high temperatures in June and July in the region at that time of year.

The announcement of the 2030 bid by the three countries is understood to be imminent following discussions at senior government level.

It is also understood that Saudi Arabia will be the lead partner and will primarily contribute to the infrastructural costs.

The UK and Ireland abandoned the quest to bid to host the global bonanza, and the European-led bid – which will likely be backed by UEFA – is expected to be a joint one between Portugal and Spain. The Saudi Arabia-Greece-Egypt call will expectedly be supported by CAF member associations and the Asian federations.

The 2030 competition will be a commemoration of 100 years of the World Cup since it was first staged in Uruguay in 1930, and thus a bid from South America is also likely to happen.

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How James Johnson Is Shaping Canada Soccer’s Billion-Dollar World Cup Commercial Future

Canada Soccer has confirmed a renewed long-term commercial agreement with Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment, marking a significant reset in the federation’s revenue strategy as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The updated partnership extends CSME’s control of Canada Soccer’s commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcast and media licensing, while introducing revised financial terms designed to provide the federation with greater long-term revenue certainty and growth potential. The agreement replaces a previous deal that faced heavy scrutiny from players and stakeholders over concerns surrounding commercial valuation and distribution of revenues.

CSME, led by Group Chief Executive James Johnson, played a central role in renegotiating the structure, which aims to better align commercial returns with the sport’s accelerating domestic and international profile. The revised framework is expected to support increased investment across national team programs, commercial development and broader football growth initiatives.

The agreement arrives at a pivotal moment for Canadian football, with momentum building across both men’s and women’s programs and global attention increasing ahead of 2026. Securing a more sustainable commercial model is viewed as critical to ensuring the federation can maximise opportunities generated by hosting football’s largest tournament.

The renewed partnership also signals a shift toward long-term commercial planning, providing Canada Soccer with a more stable financial platform as it looks to strengthen its competitive standing and expand participation nationwide.

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