Prime Minister Andy Burnham is exploring a bid to host the men’s World Cup in the UK, alongside plans for a Northern Olympics, The i Paper can reveal.
The move would bring the World Cup back to the UK for the first time since England hosted in 1966 and forms part of a growing push by Burnham to use major sporting events to drive investment, tourism and regeneration beyond London.
Burnham told colleagues at a Friday morning meeting at No 10 North in Manchester that he is looking at how Britain could host the tournament and is already in talks with the nation’s footballing bodies about how a campaign could be delivered.
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A source familiar with the discussions said the bid was raised as part of talks on “stadium regeneration”.
