FA looking into 2030 World Cup bid with decision due to be made next year

The FA has confirmed it is looking into a possible bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

FA chairman Greg Clarke has said the FA will conduct a feasibility study before deciding whether push to stage the tournament in England.

A decision will not be made until next year.

Clarke said: “Last month the English FA board agreed to conduct feasibility work into the possibility of putting itself forward to be UEFA’s potential candidate to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup.

“This work will take place during the new season and no decision will be made until 2019.”

Clarke, meanwhile, has addressed suggestions that England should be considered to host the 2022 World Cup if it is found the Qatar bid team broke Fifa rules by running a secret campaign to sabotage their rivals.

There are growing calls for Qatar to be stripped of the right to host the 2022 World Cup after a report in the Sunday Times claimed their bid employed a US PR firm and ex-CIA agents to smear their main rivals, the US and Australia.

Clarke said: “Fifa has chosen Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and they have a duty to investigate any issues around the process that are rightly thrown into question.

“Russia did a brilliant job hosting the 2018 World Cup and we support the rotation of World Cup hosting among confederations.

“That would make the 2030 World Cup the next one a European nation might be able to host, and not before. Anyone suggesting otherwise is acting disrespectfully to our global game and does not speak for the English FA.”