World Cup: UK and Ireland should abandon 2030 bid and focus on Euro 2028 instead, says Julian Knight

England were ordered to play one match behind closed doors after trouble broke out during their Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley in July

The UK and Republic of Ireland should abandon their 2030 World Cup bid and instead focus on hosting Euro 2028, says Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee chair Julian Knight.

Knight described the 2030 bid as a "giant, expensive vanity project".

He added that England's international reputation means it would likely fail.

The Times reports the five national associations have been advised their 2030 bid would be unsuccessful because of political deal-making at Fifa.

"Everyone knows that the furore over a World Cup bid is a giant, expensive vanity project," Knight told the Press Association.

China, a combined Spain and Portugal bid, plus one from South America, almost certainly involving 1930 hosts Uruguay, are likely candidates for the 2030 tournament.

The UK government has committed £2.8m to a feasibility study into a 2030 World Cup bid and have been reassured that their chances of success have not been harmed after trouble broke out at England's Euro 2020 final against Italy.

England were given a one-match stadium ban following the unrest at July's final at Wembley Stadium in London.

UK Sport's chief operating officer Simon Morton told a DCMS committee hearing in October that the scenes at Wembley were "pretty shocking" but it did not mean the World Cup bid had "gone up in smoke".

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin also said the trouble "would not count against" a British and Irish bid.

"It's sad as we are ideally suited to hosting a tournament, but we have huge reputation problems in the international game," added Knight.

"So it's best to aim our sights at something achievable, drop the 'we are the home of football' malarkey, reform our domestic game and focus on winning and delivering a really great Euros."

England is the only one of the four home nations and the Republic of Ireland to have previously been sole hosts of a major tournament, the 1966 World Cup and Euro 1996, though they were one of 11 host countries for the pan-European Euro 2020 competition, along with Scotland.

Ireland were also due to host four Euro 2020 matches but withdrew in April as they were unable to provide assurances to Uefa over minimum spectator attendance levels because of coronavirus concerns.

England's last attempt to host a World Cup ended in embarrassment when their bid for the 2018 tournament generated just two votes in the first round of voting, one of which came from the Football Association itself.

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