With a letter to FIFA: Milad applies for the U20 World Cup with the threat of resigning from Conmebol after Chile’s failure at the 2030 Cup

The months have been eventful within the ANFP. The administration led by Pablo Milad suffered from different angles. However, in recent weeks, as published by El Deportivo, the financial compensation of almost $12 million received by Quilín’s management in the arbitration with Nike has calmed the waters. Today, as the football house warns, the entity is healthy. But it keeps turning the snub from FIFA (which at the same time accuses Conmebol), which resulted in the exclusion of Chile from the organization of the 2030 World Cup .

After what happened, the head of the national organization met Gianni Infantino , the president of FIFA. In Zurich, a Chilean delegation led by Milad had lunch with the Swiss who distanced himself and ensured that the Conmebol proposal never included our country in the candidacy, which ended up being symbolic and resulted in the development of a single party in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

The ANFP sought compensation for the bad weather and promises were received linked to educational football. Although he does not commit to any specific events, Infantino assured that he would support Chile’s bid to host the 2025 U-20 World Cup , something that filled the head of national football with expectations. Milad announced the news the same day he crossed the Atlantic and landed in Santiago.

“The U-20 World Cup will be presented to the FIFA Council in Saudi Arabia, where we are invited. Chile will be presented by FIFA as a candidate and with the full support of FIFA . This means that we have the first opportunity to organize the 2025 Under-20 World Cup. A tournament organized exclusively by our country,” Milad explained during a press briefing at the Monumental Stadium. “We benefit from the support 100% of Conmebol. We have the word FIFA and that is the most important thing for us. “We are the only candidate, we are the only country that will be supported by FIFA,” he continued .

Today, more than a month after the meeting, there is already a formal request from the ANFP to organize the most important youth football event. This, yes, The decision must go through the FIFA Council, in the first instance.

The Quilín-based entity has sent a letter to officially apply to host the 2025 U-20 World Cup.

El Deportivo had access to the letter sent by the secretary general of the ANFP Jorge Yunge, addressed to the director of the commercial affairs and strategy branch of FIFA, Nicholas Rozenberg.

“In addition to greeting you and in relation to the Reference Circular, The Chilean Football Federation hereby declares its interest in hosting the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. », the writing begins. “For the above reasons, we request that you send us, at the appropriate opportunity, information on the criteria necessary to organize the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup,” it continued.

“Finally, I ask you to declare the interest already expressed and, through you, to inform us if at this stage additional information is necessary,” the letter said.

As Milad predicted, the venue for the Junior World Cup will be decided at the FIFA Council, held in Saudi Arabia. “We were invited to Saudi Arabia with the secretary general. We already have the tickets that FIFA sent them for December 18 and we are going to be present there with the people from FIFA,” he previously indicated.

Milad is, however, taking steps ahead of the appointment which will take place in the coming weeks. In Miami, the city where the different Conmebol associations are located to organize the Copa América 2024, the helmsman took charge of lobbying to obtain the necessary votes which will allow him to realize one of his dreams. He feels support, although he assumes the final decision will be made at the FIFA congress.

In the United States, the Curican was also able to meet Alejandro Domínguez again. It was the first face-to-face meeting after Chile’s failure at the 2030 World Cup. As El Deportivo was able to see, the highest authority of Conmebol spoke on good terms with the former president of Curicó Unidos. There were no major recriminations, despite the annoyance of the Chilean Federation. Beyond cordiality, the helmsman of the Chilean football house plans to resign from the vice-presidency of Conmebol in the event that the Under-20 World Cup is not awarded to him, which would deal a heavy blow to his mandate.

This Tuesday, after the meeting of legends organized by Conmebol, Domínguez announced the meeting he hoped to have with Milad, which took place a few hours later. “With Pablo (Milad), we have constant conversations. Talking to him in private will be a pleasure. In this, we must always go head-on and talk about things as they should be, Milad and Chile deserve it. There is nothing to hide, quite the contrary “, he declares, in statements to ADN radio.

The Paraguayan also raised the possibility of Milad resigning from his position at Luque headquarters. “It’s a very personal decision for him. I don’t see the reasons why he should resign, and if he does, we will know them. I hope not. Milad is a very hardworking person, he is a true leader of football and he wants the best for Chile. “, hill.

In October 2021, Infantino visited the country for the first time . Regardless, the most relevant moment occurred when encouraged Chile to apply to host the World Cup . This is mainly where the idea that ended up on the application file for the 2030 competition came to fruition.

“Chile can host a World Cup. Chile must have the mission of hosting a World Cup (…) It is not correct to ask a single country to make it available. But yes, a country like Chile, which is a very high-level football country, with players who have written the history of the biggest clubs in the world and the Chilean national team…. The cry ‘chi , chi, chi, le, le, le’, is something known throughout the world. Chile must have this ambition,” the FIFA president then indicated. It won’t be an adult World Cup, but it could be a youth World Cup.

In the event that Chile consolidates itself as organizer, This designation would be an important milestone for the national sport. The country will host a new large-scale event after the Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games. Two in two years.

The fact will not be unprecedented, yes. In 1987, the country also hosted such a World Cup. Antofagasta, Valparaíso, Santiago and Concepción hosted a tournament which was ultimately won by Yugoslavia. . West Germany came in second, while Democratic Germany closed the podium. La Roja, for its part, settled for fourth place.

It would also be the second consecutive edition to take place in South America, since in 2023 the competition took place in an extraordinary way in Argentina. In principle, Indonesia was the designated location. However, just weeks before the start, a series of political problems in the oceanic country forced FIFA to choose another venue. If it comes to fruition, it would be the first time since 1997 that the tournament has been held consecutively on the same continent.

The trans-Andean country presented only four stadiums for the event: Ciudad de La Plata, with 53,000 spectators; Malvinas Argentinas, with 42 thousand; San Juan Del Bicentenario, with 25 thousand; and Only Mother of Cities, with 30 thousand.

Chile, for its part, has a dozen Class A venues, which meet FIFA requirements. : National Stadium (National (46 thousand spectators), Monumental (44 thousand), Ester Roa (29 thousand), Elías Figueroa (21 thousand) Calvo y Bascuñán (20 thousand), Sausalito (19 thousand), Germán Becker (18 thousand) , Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso (17 thousand) and La Portada (17 thousand), which will be added to the renovated San Carlos de Apoquindo (20 thousand), which will be delivered in the second half of 2024.