Football News: 2023 World Cup on 3 Continents, Yamal’s Toilet Break, Juventus Wanted Bellingham for Their B Team
**The 2030 World Cup** will be unprecedented and played across the globe. FIFA has officially announced that the tournament will span three continents and six different countries. The opening matches will take place in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, with the rest of the games happening in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This edition marks the centenary of the tournament, which began in 1930 in Uruguay, and it will be the first time in history that a World Cup is held on three different continents.
The FIFA decision to award the event to the joint bid from Morocco, Portugal, and Spain means that these three nations will automatically qualify for the tournament, pending the success of FIFA’s bid process and the FIFA Congress’s decision in 2024. FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed these decisions, emphasizing how football and FIFA unite the world in a divided global context.
Morocco will host the World Cup for the first time, having previously failed in bids for the 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, and 2026 editions. Portugal will also welcome its first World Cup after unsuccessful bids for the 2018 and 2022 editions. Meanwhile, Spain previously hosted the tournament in 1982.
**Lamine Yamal**, the youngest player to debut in a Champions League match at the age of 16 years and 83 days, had an unusual situation during the FC Barcelona vs. FC Porto game. He left the field to go to the restroom and never returned.
According to the Barcelona coach, Yamal wasn’t feeling well and had complained of stomach discomfort. Despite a pause to see if he could continue, he ultimately couldn’t. This occurred just after Yamal had signed an extension with Barcelona until 2026, with a release clause set at one billion euros.
**Jude Bellingham** is currently enjoying a successful spell at Real Madrid, but back in 2020, he could have joined Juventus Turin. During a visit to Juventus’ facilities with his family, Bellingham was reportedly informed by Juventus that he would initially start in their U23 team before potentially moving up to the first team.
However, Borussia Dortmund offered Bellingham a spot in their first team directly, which he accepted. His career has since flourished, perhaps leaving Juventus fans with a sense of missed opportunity.
That’s your football news for October 5th!