All 4 of London’s stadia have been selected by the England 2018 Bid team for inclusion in the England submission to FIFA for the 2018/2022 World Cup. London is one of 12 cities that will host matches if the tournament is awarded to England for the first time in 50 years by FIFA.London’s host city bid was submitted with four suggested stadia including the iconic Wembley Stadium, London’s Olympic Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates and the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
If England wins the honour of hosting the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022, Wembley will automatically stage the opening game and final. Wembley will be joined by Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. The England 2018 bid team has also put forward two other London stadium’s as an ‘either/or’ option for the London’s Olympic Stadium and the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
As well as the stadia, 12 venues specific training sites and 14 team base camps have been put forward for London.
London’s host city bid was centred on the theme of “Park Life” which was chosen in order to emphasise the passion that Londoners have for football and how over 3,704 London parks and open spaces in the capital become impromptu football pitches every day. The ‘Park Life’ theme seems to have resonated well with the England 2018 bid team. Another strong point for London is its cultural diversity – London’s offers the ultimate welcome – as the city has a community from every one of FIFA’s 208 World Cup nations.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘With some of the finest stadia in the world and a passionate fan base for every team in the World Cup, London will offer an unrivalled backdrop to the thrilling action on the pitch. If the World Cup comes to the capital it will be a once in lifetime football experience for players and fans alike.’
Ken Kelling, a member of the London United team and Director of Communications at Visit London said: “We are delighted that London has been chosen to go forward as a host city. A World Cup bid needs a world city and London will no doubt play a central role in the national campaign to bring the FIFA World Cup to England. Everyone involved in putting London’s bid together is now looking forward to supporting England 2018’s ambitions at an international level. This has been a great start, but now we need to redouble our efforts as a city and a country, if we are to win one of the greatest sporting prizes in the world.”
