Labour announces support for England bid to host 2030 World Cup

Labour has announced it would back a bid by England to host the World Cup in 2030.

Deputy leader Tom Watson said the party supported putting a bid together for 2030 to celebrate the centenary of the tournament.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Watson said: "I've been driving my kids crazy because I am old enough to remember Italia 90 when we got through to the semi-finals and the country was alive.

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"After a very difficult year, seeing the country united these last few weeks has been fantastic - and it seems to me you look at Premier League football, which is the best in the world, you look at our lower league football - which is really well run, the Football Foundation has made investments in grassroots football.

"It's the national game, it can bring the country together, it can give us hope.

"We were disappointed in 2018 when we did the World Cup bid, it seems to me that we should be bidding for the World Cup 2030.

"That's a few years off and we don't know who's going to be in government in a few years' time. If we're in government, I hope it's one of the first things a Labour government does, which is work with our FA to try and put a World Cup bid together.

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"If the Conservatives are still in government, then we'd like to work with them to make sure that a bid is successful."

The next World Cup is being hosted by Qatar despite numerous controversies over the country’s application and suitability.

The 2026 tournament was awarded to a joint bid by the US, Canada and Mexico, defeating Morocco in the last round of voting.

England last hosted the World Cup in 1966, the only time they won the have won the tournament.