Bolivia asks to join South American bid to host 2030 FIFA World Cup

Montevideo, Feb 21 (IANS) Bolivia has formally expressed interest in joining a South American bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the centenary of football's showpiece tournament.

Bolivian sports minister Tito Montano presented his country's request to be added to a candidacy involving Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We have submitted the motion to be part of the candidacy for the 2030 World Cup and we hope that it can be accepted," Montano told reporters after a meeting of the bid's organising committee in the Uruguayan city of Maldonado.

He added that Bolivian President Evo Morales had already outlined the proposal in a letter sent to the presidents of the other nations.

South American bid coordinator Fernando Marin said the organising committee held "cordial discussions" with Bolivian officials earlier on Wednesday. But he said any decision on whether to include Bolivia in the candidacy would depend on the corresponding "heads of state".

The announcement came less than a week after Chile became the fourth country to be added to the candidacy.

Argentina and Uruguay originally announced a wish to host the event two years ago before Paraguay was added to the bid in October 2017.

Chile staged the World Cup in 1962 and the last time the competition was held in South America was in Brazil five years ago.

Argentina hosted it in 1978 while Uruguay have not held the quadrennial event since the inaugural edition in 1930. Paraguay and Bolivia are aiming to be hosts for the first time.

The South American effort faces competition from a British-Irish bid and a group comprising Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.