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2030 FIFA World Cup: A Global Tournament Spanning Six Nations on Three Continents

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FIFA has confirmed that the 2030 World Cup will be hosted across six countries spanning three continents. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are set to co-host the tournament, with the opening matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to commemorate the World Cup’s centenary. This decision is expected to be ratified at a FIFA congress next year.

The choice of co-hosting the tournament across multiple continents has drawn criticism, with concerns raised about its impact on fans, the environment, and human rights. FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, emphasized the unique global footprint this approach would create, uniting Africa, Europe, and South America.

This proposal signifies a significant change for the World Cup, as teams may find themselves playing in two different seasons due to the hemisphere switch. If approved, Morocco will become only the second African nation to host a World Cup. Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will also qualify automatically as co-hosts.

In addition to the World Cup announcement, FIFA revealed that only bids from countries within the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation would be considered for the 2034 finals. This led to Saudi Arabia announcing its bid for the 2034 tournament. The deadline for prospective hosts to express interest is October 31.

FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup across three continents has raised concerns about sustainability and climate impact, given the significant air travel and emissions associated with such a large-scale event.

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Spain coast guard spots boat during search for missing migrant vessel

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The Spanish coast guard has located a boat carrying around 200 migrants that went missing over a week ago. The boat was found 71 miles south of Gran Canaria, and a coast guard vessel has been dispatched for rescue operations.

The fishing boat had departed from a coastal town in southern Senegal, approximately 1,700km away from Tenerife, with 200 people on board, including many children. Two other similar boats carrying additional migrants are also reported missing, with limited information available. This brings the total number of people missing across the three boats to over 300.

The route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is known to be perilous, and last year alone, at least 559 people died attempting to reach the Spanish islands. The exact number of departures and shipwrecks often goes unreported. The migrants attempting this route typically come from countries such as Morocco, Mali, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and other sub-Saharan nations.

Despite a decrease in the number of unauthorized arrivals in the Canary Islands in 2022 compared to the previous year, the route remains dangerous, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) emphasizes that the flows are still high compared to previous years.

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Boy run over and killed after France World Cup win

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In Montpellier, a southern French city, a 14-year-old kid was run over and killed shortly after France defeated Morocco in the World Cup semi-final.  After the match, according to the authorities, he was hit by a car and later died in the hospital.

Images shared on social media showed an automobile covered in a French tricolour, which was later seized by onlookers.  The driver then accelerated into two youngsters, perhaps in a hurry. The 14-year-old was struck and suffered a cardiac attack as the driver turned around and sped away.

“Immense sadness that a sporting event should end in total tragedy,” said local MP Nathalie Oziol, who expressed her sympathy with the boy’s family.

The automobile was later discovered abandoned not far from the scene of the collision, according to the local prefect in the southern Hérault region, and police have started looking for the driver. Everyone was horrified and in disbelief over “this awful tragedy,” according to Mayor Michal Delafosse, who also prayed that those responsible for “this vile act” would face justice.

According to local MP Patrick Vignal, the motorist needed to be apprehended and punished harshly.  Around 30 minutes after the final horn in Qatar, when France defeated Morocco 2-0, the incident took place in Montpellier’s La Paillade neighbourhood.

As flares were fired and police used tear gas in response, tensions between France and Morocco supporters briefly erupted in the city centre. A Moroccan community of about 1.5 million individuals exists in France.

While police deployed tear gas to quell unrest among far-right youngsters in Lyon’s centre, celebrations in other French cities were mainly peaceful. Ten thousand police officers were stationed all around the nation, and 167 arrests were reportedly made.

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