MOSCOW: Saudi Arabia is ready to pay for the construction of football stadiums in Greece and Egypt in exchange for a joint bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup, the Politico newspaper reported, citing sources.
According to one of the sources, the proposal was discussed at a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the summer of 2022.
Riyadh is ready to “fully underwrite the costs” faced by Greece and Egypt but in exchange for receiving the right to host 75% of the World Cup matches on its territory, the other source added.
The newspaper noted that it was not known whether the Saudi proposal had been accepted.
Joint bids from Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine on the one hand and Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile on the other would be in competition with Saudi Arabia to host the main football tournament, the report said.