The 2030 World Cup in Uruguay and Argentina? Yes with pleasure
It's about time the World Cup became the World Cup again. Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are leading the way, promoting the tournament for their countries.
At some point, the World Cup has to come around again back to the roots. And awarded to true soccer nations. Countries where the infrastructure either already exists—or will at least still be needed after the final tournament. And where, for example, something like human rights exist. The sad culmination of this madness in the bidding process will have to be dealt with in 2022. In the winter, over mulled wine. Because, in hindsight, it turned out that it’s actually too hot to play soccer in the Qatari desert during the summer. Of course, no one could have foreseen that before the bid was awarded.
Better times are ahead. In 2030, Uruguay and Argentina, for example, plan to co-host the World Cup. Both countries already have experience hosting the tournament: Uruguay hosted the very first World Cup (1930), and Argentina hosted it in 1978. Incidentally, both countries won the World Cup on home soil.
To draw attention to the bid amid a field of competitors—some of whom are powerful and financially strong—the creative industry enlisted the two superstars Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez and had them take the field wearing jerseys numbered 20 and 30 before the qualifying match. A simple idea that relies on the strength of its ambassadors. The image caused a sensation in media outlets around the world. And in doing so, it carried the message around the globe: It’s time for soccer to return to where it belongs. Hope dies last. Unfortunately, so do certain FIFA mechanisms. (hae)
