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Brazil withdraws bid for World Cup
Posted: Monday July 03, 2000 11:08 AM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil has withdrawn its bid to stage the 2006 World Cup and will support South Africa's candidacy. "We will support the South African campaign and then they will support us in 2010," Brazilian Soccer Confederation chief Ricardo Teixeira said Monday. In South Africa, bid executive officer Danny Jordaan welcomed Brazil's decision. "Certainly we are very happy that there is now a single focus between Africa and Europe and not a third continent involved in the contest," he said. "Now it's a question of whether FIFA gives Europe 10 World Cups and nothing to Africa." On Thursday, the 24-member Executive Committee of FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, meets in Zurich, Switzerland, to decide which country will stage the sport's premier event in 2006. Germany, England and South Africa are considered the top contenders. Morocco and Brazil were given little chance. Of the 16 World Cups held so far, Europe has staged nine, Latin America has held six and the United States one. Japan and South Korea are co-hosts of the 2002 World Cup, the first to be held in Asia. Soccer officials here contend that Brazil, which saged the Cup in 1950, has earned the right to do it again. It is the only country to have qualified for every Cup and the only four-time winner, in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 194. But some local soccer heavyweights, including Pele and former FIFA President Joao Havelange, opposed a Brazilian candidacy in 2006. They argued that Brazil could not now afford the investments needed to meet FIFA's requirements for a host country and urged Teixeira to back South Africa in return for its support in bringing the 2010 Cup here. Teixeira visited South Africa last month, and soccer officials there said talks included mutual support for the World Cup. Asked who he thought would be awarded the cup, Teixeira said: "South Africa will win, probably in the first round."
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