"The three Presidents have consolidated this project, so dear to all the football fans of our countries, so that the international football world gives us the opportunity to organize the World Cup," Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie stated in Asunción, after being received —alongside the delegations of Paraguay and Uruguay— by President Horacio Cartes, on the occasion of the signature of the Tri-national Memorandum of Cooperation on a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Minister Faurie, joined by the Secretary for Sports, Javier Mac Allister, explained that the three countries are working jointly "with willingness and flexibility, above all, because we know our people want this tournament to take place." "We will establish a coordination group that will rotate alphabetically, so that the world of football acknowledges our candidacy. Argentina will initially coordinate this group, which must set the goals and deadlines for our work," he added.
Alongside his Paraguayan and Uruguayan counterparts and the heads of the Football Associations of the three countries —including Claudio Tapia—, the Argentine Foreign Minister stated that "this discussion began in Buenos Aires some weeks ago, when President Macri received his counterparts, Horacio Cartes and Tabaré Vázquez. Soon afterwards, the Paraguayan authorities convened this further meeting, for which we are grateful."
"The key is for all of us to work together so that the 2030 World Cup can take place between the Paraná and Río de la Plata Rivers, in South America, and so that we can bring the World Cup to our region, 100 years after the first one held in Uruguay," Faurie concluded.
Paraguay's Foreign Minister, Eladio Loizaga, in turn explained that, together with the Ministers of Sports and Tourism of the three countries, "an assessment will be made of all the work involved in the bid to host the 2030 World Cup". In this regard, he highlighted the importance of the Memorandum signed.
Uruguay's Foreign Minister, Rodolfo Nin Novoa, underscored the special significance that the 2030 World Cup holds for Uruguay, a century after the first historic world tournament held in his country, and stated: "Two of our countries have won the World Cup and our three Presidents have also served as Presidents of champion football clubs in their respective countries. If there is a place in the world where there is passion for football, it is the Río de la Plata Basin."
Press release No. 529/17
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