KAZAN, Russia — Chile says it will consider bidding to host the 2026 World Cup with some of its South American neighbours.
Speaking in Russia ahead of Chile’s Confederations Cup game against Germany on Thursday, the president of the Chilean football federation said that he wants to begin discussions to analyze the possibility of making the bid.
"We will consider the possibility of doing it together with other countries, it can be with two countries or three countries," federation president Arturo Salah said Tuesday in Moscow. "We’ll have to see. The bidding period is open. We have to see if there is any possibility of partnering with some of our neighbours and see if we can make a bid."
Salah did not elaborate on his plans or if he had already contacted any other country in South America about the subject.
The announcement came as a surprise as North America is widely expected to be awarded the 2026 event with a joint bid by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The 2018 tournament is being staged in Russia, and Qatar will host it in 2022.
The president of the South American football confederation, Alejandro Dominguez, has said that the continent wants to host the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the tournament’s centennial celebrations.
Uruguay hosted the first edition of the World Cup in 1930.
The deadline for countries to show their intention to bid for the 2026 tournament is Aug. 11.
Chile was the World Cup host in 1962.
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