DUBLIN: The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has announced it will join four British Isles nations England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in exploring a potential bid to host the 2030 World Cup.Last month, the English Football Association announced plans to conduct a feasibility study along with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The FAI confirmed it will be joining the study “following recent positive discussions amongst all parties”.

England, which hosted and won the 1966 World Cup, failed with bids for the FIFA showpiece in 2006 and 2018.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in June that Ireland should consider joining the home nations in a potential World Cup bid.

Last month, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also backed a joint bid Britain.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, while a South American tri-nation bid involving Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay has already been announced for 2030.

Other countries touted with an interest in hosting the competition include Morocco, Cameroon, Egypt and Spain.

France claimed their second ever World Cup in Russia during the summer, defeating Croatia 4-2 in one of the most entertaining and action-packed finals for decades.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018