Gianni Infantino has offered Bolivia a historic promise. Visiting La Paz to celebrate the centenary of the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF), the FIFA president assured that the country would one day host a World Cup. An unexpected announcement that sparked both enthusiasm and skepticism in the football world.
"We're going to bring a World Cup here, that's for sure. We'll see what kind of World Cup we're talking about," Gianni Infantino told Bolivian football officials and the country's newly elected president, Rodrigo Paz. A symbolic statement that opens the door to the organization of an international competition on Bolivian soil, whether it's a men's, women's, or youth World Cup.
An ambitious promise at an altitude of over 4,000 meters
Bolivia is famous for its stadiums perched in the dizzying heights of the Andes Mountains, where the thin air puts a strain on the players' bodies. The country boasts some of the highest stadiums in the world, such as El Alto, approved in early 2024 at an altitude of 4,083 meters. Other stadiums, located at over 3,000 meters, complete this geographical peculiarity that makes matches in Bolivia unique... and feared.
The extreme conditions led FIFA to ban international matches above 2,500 meters in 2007. This measure was strongly contested by the Andean nations, before being overturned a year later, in 2008. Since then, Bolivia has continued to defend its right to play "at home," in the heart of its mountains.
A symbolic candidacy, but not yet official
While the FIFA president's support is a strong signal, the designation of a host country depends on the vote of more than 200 member federations. Gianni Infantino, however, clarified that discussions would begin with the new Bolivian president: "We will begin discussing it with the president-elect," he said, suggesting that the project could be studied in the coming years.
This prospect would allow Bolivia to join the prestigious list of South American countries that have hosted the World Cup: Uruguay in 1930, Brazil in 1950 and 2014, Chile in 1962 and Argentina in 1978.
For a country often perceived as a minor player in world football, this announcement represents a source of immense pride and tremendous hope. It remains to be seen whether Infantino's promise will be a pipe dream... or a truly major project for Bolivia.
