Spain and Portugal Bidding for 2030 FIFA World Cup -- Federation Focus

(ATR) Spain and Portugal join forces in an effort to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The decision to bid for the World Cup was a major part of a broader collaboration agreement ratified on Wednesday by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, and his Portuguese counterpart, Fernando Gomes.

The agreement, signed at the José Alvalade stadium in Lisbon ahead of a friendly match between the national teams of Spain and Portugal, is designed to improve the quality and potential of football in the two countries through a plan with specific annual objectives.

"Few things can generate more excitement than the opportunity to organize a World Cup and we cannot think of a better partner than Portugal. We go hand in hand with the Portuguese Federation." said Rubiales.

The Iberian effort is the second European confirmed bid for the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup following a joint bid from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia.

A South American joint bid featuring Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile is also confirmed. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930. Argentina and Chile have also previously hosted the event.

Morocco has said it plans to try for a fifth time to host. The country most recently lost out to the joint USA-Canada-Mexico bid for 2026.

Several other potential bidders could be in the pipeline, with China, Cameroon, and Egypt expressing interest. Additional joint bids from both South America and Europe could also materialize.

FIFA is expected to decide on the host for the 2030 World Cup in 2024.

World Rugby Hires Former Ireland Coach

World Rugby appoints former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt as Director of Rugby and High Performance.

Schmidt will lead the new Rugby and High Performance Department, which in addition to its title will also be responsible for match officials and technical service functions, including player welfare as well as training and education.

He comes to the international federation with an impressive track record. He coached Ireland from 2013 to 2019, winning World Rugby Coach of the Year honors in 2018. Under Schmidt, Ireland won three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2018, and reached number one in the men’s rankings for the first time in September 2019.

Prior to that, he was head coach at Leinster from 2010 to 2013, leading the Irish province to six finals and winning four trophies.

Schmidt will begin his duties at World Rugby in November, reporting to Chief Executive Brett Gosper.

"We are delighted to appoint a person of Joe’s calibre, expertise and global credibility to this newly-created and strategically important position within the organization," Gosper said in a statement.

"As an international federation we must strive to continually increase our connection and collaboration with the most important stakeholders in our game – players, coaches, match officials, unions and, of course, fans. It is fantastic to have an individual who has been at the forefront of the high-performance game management evolution at the very highest level for well over a decade."

Schmidt’s appointment follows last week’s announcement that experienced rugby competitions manager Nigel Cass will be joining as the new Competitions Director.

World Taekwondo Hosts Inaugural Virtual General Assembly

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, speaking at the first ever virtual World Taekwondo General Assembly, expressed his optimism for the sport in 2021 as he addressed the safe and simplified taekwondo competitions that will take place next year.

"We are optimistic for what lies ahead. We are already a well-governed International Federation, but with our collective decisions now and in the coming year, I truly believe that we can aim for the skies and be even better," Choue stated.

The World Taekwondo Championships and World Para Taekwondo Championships will be held next year in Wuxi.

More than 300 participants attended the virtual assembly, making it the largest non-elective General Assembly.

Also during his address, President Choue discussed new safety measures for competitions held next year. President Choue also shared how the federation has progressed since the coronavirus pandemic. Though the federation has not held an event since March 2020, World Taekwondo has worked to adapt to the changing climate by offering online courses and virtual meetings.

GAISF to host first virtual General Assembly

The GAISF General Assembly will be held virtually, due to travel restrictions imposed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The virtual gathering will be held November 10.

GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli says the virtual option ensures accessibility after repealing his hybrid form option.

GAISF will announce the winners for the 2020 GAISF Sustainability Award during the General Assembly. The award places emphasis on standout sustainability projects in the global sports community.

Prospective associate membership petitioned by the Association of Paralympic Sports Organizations and the World Transplant Games Federation will be explored. The International Federation of Teqball has also applied for full membership, and will be reviewed.

Homepage Photo: RFEF

Written by Gerard Farekand Greer Wilson

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