(ECNS) -- The Chinese Football Association has denied rumors that China will bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
On its official Weibo account, the body said some news outlets appeared impatient, making it important to clarify that "China has not decided to apply for hosting any World Cup."
Some reports said the association was preparing a written bid to host the World Cup after China's hopes of hosting the world's top soccer series got a boost from FIFA.
FIFA proposed giving its ruling council the power to decide that a continent could skip just one World Cup before hosting again. The governing body of soccer said flexibility in hosting would be allowed "if circumstances so require." That would let China bid to host the 2030 World Cup only eight years after Qatar.
But because 2030 also marks the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay, South America seems to be the preferred choice, analysts said.
