Argentina and Uruguay agreed Thursday to jointly bid to host the 2030 World Cup soccer tournament.
"We decided today to commit ourselves together as candidates to host the 2030 World Cup," Argentine President Mauricio Macri said during a televised press conference in Colonia, Uruguay, along with his Uruguayan counterpart, Tabare Vazquez.
"We have to plan these things with anticipation," said Macri, a former president of the Boca Juniors soccer club in Buenos Aires.
The bid must be presented to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the Zurich-based world governing body of soccer that organizes the World Cup every four years.
While Argentina and Uruguay have previously discussed the possibility of hosting the tournament, this is the first public announcement of the plans.
"We want our links to consolidate not only with economic exchanges but also with culture and sport, which is a very strong link between both countries," Macri said.
If the bid is accepted, Macri said the tournament would return to Uruguay after 100 years. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930, when Uruguay went on to beat Argentina 4-1 in the final.
"There is no better opportunity to commit ourselves as candidates together," Macri said.
Argentina, which hosted the tournament in 1978, and Uruguay will have to compete against other offers. Chile, Colombia and England have expressed interest in hosting the 2030 tournament, but so has a group of southeast Asian nations and a joint effort by Australia and New Zealand.
Brazil hosted the 2014 event in which Germany beat Argentina 1-0 to take the cup.
Russia is due to host the tournament in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, while Colombia has said it wants host honors in 2026, as have Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
