In Argentina, “the dream of South American football” was officially launched this Tuesday, as Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia defined it at the press conference to launch the candidacy of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile to jointly organize the 2030 World Cup.
At the Fifa stadium, in Ezeiza, soccer leaders and sports officials from the four countries, as well as the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, were part of a presentation in which the words “dream”, “pride”, “history” and “centenary” officiated as the main arguments for this joint challenge.
As host and world champion, Tapia first took the floor to say that “South America not only has the history of having organized the first World Cup; it also has the history, the essence and the passion with which all South Americans experience football”.
“We know that it is a very big commitment, that we have to work hard to convince them and show the world that Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile can organize the dream of all of South America,” said Tapia, and assured that “the commitment” also includes the other countries in the region.
“We have the support of all the presidents of the 10 federations that make up Conmebol,” he said.
The launch –and the joint application– of the four countries has the participation of the first and the last World Cup champion, with Uruguay and Argentina as the top leaders in this challenge.
“When we all work in the same direction, when we all want the same thing, the objectives are achieved. And if we all set out to host 2030, we are going to achieve it, because we know what we have to do”, declared the Argentine leader and confided: “History and passion are going to give us that opportunity, and the work of all those who We are at this table.”
In the same sense, the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, said he was not “worried” regarding 2030 and justified it: “We have a team, we believe in greatness, we are convinced and Fifa has the obligation to honor the memory of those who They preceded and made the first World Cup ”.
“The arguments we have to defend this candidacy are much more powerful than the materials. Soccer has to return to where it was born, to its essence. World soccer has to pay off that debt and recognize that 100 years is a good opportunity to thank South American soccer for everything it has contributed,” remarked the Argentine Minister of Tourism and Sports Matías Lammens.
“It is a huge challenge that we are all very excited regarding and we believe that it will be of great help to the region. It will be difficult to organize and we are going to have to make investments, but the legacy that remains is also important. Because all that investment remains: in routes, in connectivity, in borders…”, continued Lammens.
World Cup 2030: a joint dream
Sebastián Bauza, Secretary of Sport of Uruguay, spoke on behalf of the first country to organize a World Cup and also the first champion of the tournament.
“Fifa has to come to celebrate the World Cup where football was born, with the first World Cup in 1930. Uruguay joins this challenge with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay to make the great celebration of organizing a World Cup where the word sustainable will be key, because we have to be responsible with what we will organize”, the official contributed and wished that “all those who come to enjoy the World Cup feel comfortable and realize the passion that exists here, because football is breathed here”.
“We do not feel that these four federations together with Conmbol have the right to organize a World Cup and we are already working for that,” said Bauza.
For her part, the Minister of Sports of Chile, Alexandra Benado Vergara, emphasized: “Football has that social impact that allows us to unite as countries, and today we are four countries coming together to organize a World Cup. It is a legitimate desire that we have in South America for history, because the centenary is going to be celebrated, because we have world champions in the region…”.
“I know it is a big challenge and we are working seriously. We cannot stop dreaming”, assured the minister and advanced: “We are going to have a serious, sustainable, austere application according to what our region is experiencing today”.
Diego Galeano Harrison is the Minister of Sports of Paraguay and in his turn he recounted: “The corporation is already formed and we are working with highly trained people to carry out this process. Today we all feel committed. This World Cup is going to be in 2030, which is 100 years since the first edition and hopefully we can all celebrate it together here where it all began, in our home, in South America”.
