April 3 – South American confederation Conmebol have announced they will build a new stadium in Asuncion to support the region’s bid for the 2030 World Cup.
At the body’s annual congress, Conmebol promised to construct a 45,000-seater stadium in the Paraguayan capital at a cost of $50 million. If South America wins the hosting of the 2030 World Cup, capacity would be expanded to a capacity of 60,000.
With FIFA president Gianni Infantino present, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez pitched the region’s bid for the 2030 World Cup again.
“Let’s not make the mistake that the Olympic Games made of not giving Athens the 1996 venue. We have to have the Centenary World Cup here, to honour history,” said Dominguez. “(FIFA President Gianni) Infantino I want to appeal to you to find a way to celebrate 100 years of the World Cup in South America. It’s not the 2030 Cup, it’s the Centenary Cup.”
Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay have joined forces to bring the World Cup back to South America, a century after Uruguay staged the maiden finals in 1930. They will go up against a bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Saudi Arabia is also contemplating a bid and the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al Misehal was present in Luque.
The new stadium will be Conmebol’s main investment in 2023.
The confederation presented positive figures for the 2022 financial year. Revenues hit $455.5 million, an increase of $5 million from 2021, resulting in a net profit of $4 million. Dominguez said it would have been $10 million more but the organisation rewarded World Cup winners Argentina with a $10 million bonus. In 2021, Conmebol’s profit was far more robust with $22.7 million.
The confederation said that it reinvests 93% of revenue back into the game. In 2023, Conmebol projects revenue of $511 million with a final cash balance of $10.8 million before tax. Prize money for club competitions will rise to a new record total of $294 million.
At a brief extraordinary congress that followed the main proceedings, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues was ratified as a South American representative for the FIFA Council. Having ousted Fernando Sarney, Rodrigues had become an acting member of the FIFA Council at the world federation’s 73rd Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
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