Uruguay should be the front-runner to host the centennial World Cup in 2030, according to former Uruguayan international Gus Poyet.

The South American country hosted the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1930 and went on to win their first of two World Cups on that occasion.

In 2017, the Uruguayan and Argentine football associations announced their intentions to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 edition, with fellow South American countries Chile and Paraguay subsequently joining the proposal.

Spain, Portugal, Ukraine and Morocco have launched a rival bid to host the tournament but Poyet believes that the tournament’s history should be respected.

"I thought it was natural that Uruguay could be the perfect place to play the World Cup in 2030," Poyet told Stats Perform.

"Do we have the capacity as a country to hold the World Cup? No. So it needs to be shared with someone around – Argentina, Chile or Paraguay. 

"The problem is, I used to remember a long time ago when somebody told me that football without politics has gone; it had died. We depend so much on the politics of the country.

"Until the politicians agree, football is not coming together. So I think it would be a shame if it is not in Uruguay, at least one group, maybe two groups."

A proposal has also been put forward by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for the World Cup to be hosted every two years. The plan – backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino – has received widespread criticism, with Poyet also opposed to the suggestion.

"I would keep it [as four years], I don't want World Cups every two years," Poyet said.

"I think becoming a world champion is difficult, it takes four years and if you don't [win it], you need to wait another four years. It is like the Olympic Games, it is not like you can have another chance in two years' time."

On the pitch, Uruguay continued their unbeaten start under new coach Marcelo Bielsa. Having won two friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba back in June, La Celeste got their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign up and running with a convincing 3-1 defeat of Chile.

Uruguay last won the World Cup in 1950, recording three fourth-place finishes since then, but Poyet is excited by Bielsa's start and the prospects of the national team under the tutelage of the 68-year-old Argentine.

"In the first game, people went, 'Wow what is going on without the old group of players' and the second game it was a little bit more natural," Poyet said.

"Everybody is desperate to know the 25 players he is going to pick. People think they know but they don't because Marcelo Bielsa is unique and he is different, he is totally a unique case and they're going to be surprises and some deceptions as well, so I think everybody's excited and looking forward to seeing what he's going to bring to the national team."

Football faces a conundrum as packed schedules impact the quality of play, and Gus Poyet believes the solution lies with players making decisions rather than organisations.

A new officiating directive in the Premier League has seen games regularly pass the 100-minute mark due to additional stoppage time this season, as was also the case at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Manchester United's Raphael Varane has voiced his concerns over the increased playing time adding to an already hectic schedule, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has outlined similar fears.

Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Poyet acknowledges it is a difficult situation, with top leagues and governing bodies keen to maximise revenue, sometimes at the expense of quality.

Poyet told Stats Perform: "The matter with the games is simple. When you play too many games, you lose the quality, you can't maintain your quality at the same level for 60 or 70 games a season, no chance.

"If people want to see quality football, they need to reduce the number of games. If you reduce the number of games, there is less television and if there is less television, there is less money.

"Everyone who is involved in football, me included, needs to answer, do we agree to earn less and play less, or are we very selfish and want to keep earning more and more while playing fewer games?

"These things go together. I think we need to start from there because you're not going to be able to pay £100million for someone if you don't have the television [money] from playing 38-plus games.

"I think we are a little bit selfish and we only think about ourselves when the money that we are earning is coming because of the quantity of games that you can show on TV.

"That is the bottom line, I think it's common sense and if somebody doesn't agree, it is because they are only thinking about themselves."

Poyet's glittering playing career and coaching background, as well as his experience as a television pundit, means the Uruguayan is well-versed in this particular battle.

While organisations such as FIFA and UEFA dictate matters at football's top table, Poyet is eager to see power shifted to players and coaches. 

"Until we start letting people who played football or who understand football at the highest level, top coaches, decide the rules of football, we're going to have problems," he continued.

"The people deciding these rules don't know [about the game]. They have never played most of the time and they think they know.

"Even if they say they have got a group of experts, the group of experts are people that work at UEFA and they get together and get paid.

"For proper rules ask the players, involve the players, get the Professional Football Association from every country and get them together. 

"Ask the question, take it to your country and then bring it back. In that way, we have an agreement and then there are no complaints."

The introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) to review decisions has further frustrated some supporters, with crucial decisions often taking minutes rather than seconds.

Poyet believes the onus should be restored onto the referees on the pitch, rather than those in the stands or watching from remote VAR hubs.

He continued: "For me, I would like more responsibilities on the referee. Right now, the referees have got zero responsibility. With VAR, they decide nothing.

"Whatever happens on the pitch, if they make a mistake then somebody is there, having a coffee and telling them what to do, which is not what the referees are about.

"The referees are about being in charge of the games and they have to have responsibilities, and that responsibility is also checking, breathing and smelling people [who are wasting time].

"Are you going to say that a referee that has refereed 200 games doesn't know when a team is time-wasting and going too far? Let him manage the game.

"They waste more time with the VAR than the players do, so we are having extra time because of the VAR. Take it away, it is rubbish anyway. Absolutely rubbish.

"Are we taking away five jobs, four jobs or three jobs? I don't know how many there are in there, that is a problem so sort it out. But the most important thing for me is to let the referee take responsibility."

Jude Bellingham has made a flying start to his Real Madrid career but that comes as no surprise to Gus Poyet due to the midfielder's mentality.

Carlo Ancelotti's side saw off competition from Liverpool and a host of other European clubs to sign Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2023-24 season.

The England international has soon settled into life in Spain, scoring three goals in his first two LaLiga games after Saturday's brace against Almeria.

Poyet, like many other coaches and former players, pinpointed Bellingham's mentality and told Stats Perform the former Birmingham City man was always going to go to the top.

Poyet said: "I knew Bellingham because I had an interview with Birmingham four or five years ago, before he went to Dortmund, and I watched the team obviously.

"I watched him play and I was thinking 'wow' at the potential he had at 17 or 18 years old.

"So you see the player, but then you need to meet the person, the personality, the passion, how can he handle the pressure, what he likes and what he doesn't. And I think that is what people are seeing now at Real Madrid. 

"We knew that he had the quality, we knew that he made a big impact at Borussia Dortmund, especially when you saw him at Dortmund sometimes being the captain. You think that he must be special because of this.

"The quality, everyone can see, but I think the most important quality of Bellingham is his mentality.

"He is very strong, he believes in himself, he knows what he wants. He made decisions early in his life, leaving England his comfort zone to go to Germany at that age and now, boom, he is at Real Madrid."

Bellingham, aged 20 years and 51 days, is the second-youngest player to score in his opening two LaLiga games – only behind Markel Susaeta in 2007 (who was 19 years and 275 days old).

Poyet does not foresee Bellingham slowing down any time soon either, as Madrid eye a fruitful period with one of the world's most exciting talents in their ranks.

"I think he's going to be at Real Madrid for a long, long time," Poyet added. "He is going to be very good for the club and for himself."

The 20-year-old also had an assist against Almeria. He is just the third player to be involved in four goals in his first two LaLiga outings in the 21st century, along with Wesley Sneijder (2007) and Mounir El Hamdaoui (2013).

Gus Poyet has been impressed by the quality on display at this year's Women's World Cup and believes the tournament will inspire the next generation of women's football stars.

The expanded 32-team tournament in Australia and New Zealand has caught the imaginations of many, while a first-time winner is guaranteed ahead of Sunday's final between Spain and England.

Both host nations have posted record attendances for women's games, with Australia playing in front of three 75,784-strong crowds at Sydney's Stadium Australia and 43,217 watching Spain's semi-final victory over Sweden in Auckland.

The global competition has also been characterised by headline-making upsets, with Germany and Brazil suffering surprise group-stage exits as Morocco and Jamaica advanced at their expense. 

Speaking to Stats Perform ahead of the showpiece between Spain and England, former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Poyet hailed the tournament as a triumph.

"With respect to the other girls, when you see the best players playing, that's it," Poyet said. "That's football. 

"I think we need to be realistic and it is simple when you have a number of people playing football… men play football – I don't know how many – all over the world. 

"You can choose from those quantities, [there are] so many people to make so many clubs and so many competitions all over the world, that is why they keep going. Second division, third division… you go to England and it is National League, local leagues, Sunday League…

"But for the girls, they didn't play football that much in the last 40 years, quantity-wise. Then it is very difficult to find a way to make all these clubs play at the same level we are watching at the World Cup. 

"It is time, I think we need to give them time but the football that we saw, the goals we have seen, the ability of certain players, is nice to see. 

"We don't need to ask too much, too quickly. We need to take time, I think they need time and it is going to be part of life for everyone nowadays. 

"If you have a daughter, they will say that they want to play football and it will be natural. 

"When we were young it was different. There were a few [top players], but not the quantity that women's football needs. But it's nice to see that the quality is there."

Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses are looking to become just the second team – after Germany in 2003 and 2007 – to win the Women's World Cup as reigning European champions.

It will be the first meeting between England and Spain at the Women's World Cup, with the Lionesses losing just two of their previous 13 matches against La Roja across all competitions (W7 D4), including a 2-1 quarter-final win at last year's European Championships.

Chelsea's new recruits are perfectly suited to playing under Mauricio Pochettino, according to Gus Poyet, who believes the Blues could surprise their Premier League rivals this season.

Chelsea have continued to invest heavily ahead of their second full season under the Todd Boehly regime, spending an estimated £328million on Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and others during the current transfer window.

Former Brighton and Hove Albion star Caicedo became the most expensive player in Premier League history when he joined the Blues in a £115m deal this week, with fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia also arriving from Southampton for £58m.

While Chelsea's costly recruitment policy has attracted plenty of criticism, former Blues favourite Poyet feels they have acquired players likely to excel under Pochettino.

"Obviously they have a new coach. They have too many new players," Poyet told Stats Perform. 

"They're very young and normally the young players have that stamina, they are going to run and create, but then you have that dip in form.

"The thing that I am the most pleased about, thinking about the coach, is they are made for Pochettino. 

"Young players that need to be built, that need to be coached, that need to feel part of a group and have togetherness… things that Pochettino does tremendously well. 

"A few weeks ago, I was worried. Now I've got a feeling that maybe they can be the surprise. I'm not saying they can win the title, but the surprise in terms of how they're going to develop."

Chelsea produced a positive display in their season opener last Sunday, enjoying 64.9 per cent of the possession and creating five big chances in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Conor Gallagher partnered Enzo Fernandez in the heart of Chelsea's midfield for that game, but Poyet believes Caicedo's arrival can take the Blues to a different level.

"I think was quite a good call from Pochettino to play Fernandez a little bit further forward," he said. "For that, you need a proper sitting number six, which Gallagher did the other day. 

"I think Gallagher did tremendously, he made two or three unbelievable tackles to recover the ball in difficult circumstances, but they're looking for that athletic South American that can cover the pitch and be good on the ball. 

"[Caicedo] learned a lot with Roberto De Zerbi about positioning and passing, so I think they have an incredible group of players that just need to gel or to find the right system."

Poyet – who coached Brighton between 2009 and 2013 – also believes the transfer represents a remarkable piece of business for the Seagulls, adding: "I want to talk about Brighton, who are outstanding with their recruitment system.

"To have players from everywhere in the world and sell them for the amount of money they are selling them for is tremendous."

Harry Kane's transfer to Bayern Munich came as a surprise to former Tottenham player and assistant boss Gus Poyet.

Kane completed a switch to the Bundesliga champions last week, signing a four-year deal in Munich.

That came after Bayern had finally struck an £86.4million (€100m) deal with Tottenham for the 30-year-old, who scored 30 Premier League goals last season.

The England captain made his debut in Bayern's 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup after saying he moved to Germany to win trophies.

For Poyet, the move was a shock, however, especially after Kane failed to seal a transfer to Manchester City in 2021.

"I was surprised at Kane leaving because I said it, and I'm not going to change my mind, two years ago I thought it was the time for him to go," Poyet said in an interview with Stats Perform.

"I thought he's experienced, still young, so at that age he was still at the top of his career, looking for titles or silverware.

"He didn't [go], and it was a big shock for me, so I wasn't expecting him to leave. I was not.

"Going now and going abroad surprised me quite a lot."

Poyet is happy that Kane is going to test himself in another competition.

He added: "I'm pleased for him because it's going to be totally different for him, a new challenge completely different to England and I hope he does well because he deserves that feeling of winning a title."

Spurs began the post Kane era with a 2-2 draw at Brentford in Ange Postecoglou's first Premier League game in charge, and Poyet knows Tottenham will have a hard time replacing their former talisman.

"I'm really sad for the coach, because you go to Tottenham, and it's your first job in the Premier League and your main man – the one who is going to score 20+ goals – is gone, so you need to replace him and it's not easy," said Poyet, who is nevertheless excited to see Spurs in action this season.

"I'm not saying they cannot score goals [with] their front three, I'm saying that it's just different, and they're going to have to adapt.

"I think we saw already in pre-season and the first game that Tottenham is going to be very, very entertaining. 

"I would be surprised if a Tottenham game [involves] less than three goals – for or against – because this is the style of football.

"They're going to be very offensive, they're going to be creating a lot and obviously when you go too far that way [forward] you leave space the other way and everybody plays. It's completely opposite to the way Spurs were playing in the last few years."

Graham Potter's Chelsea dismissal was "harsh" but ultimately the price of failing to meet expectations, according to Blues great Gus Poyet.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager was appointed to replace Thomas Tuchel last September as new co-owner Todd Boehly began to make his presence known at Stamford Bridge.

But after slipping to 11th in the Premier League with defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, Potter was sacked just over six months into the job.

Poyet, a Chelsea cult hero and former Brighton boss himself, feels the decision to fire the 47-year-old was a tough one but ultimately unsurprising given their slide down the table.

"I think it was a difficult period," he told Stats Perform. "They had a few good results, especially in the Champions League, and it looked [like] a new beginning.

"But football nowadays, it depends on so many things. We don't analyse performances anymore, only a result. I think for Graham in particular, it's harsh.

"Brighton to Chelsea is a big change. That is a learning process, but at the same time, it's Chelsea. When you are in a team like Chelsea, with the money spent, you definitely cannot be 11th."

Having dismissed Champions League-winning coach Tuchel in order to install Potter, Poyet feels Boehly will be cautious when it comes to his next pick.

"He's learned that at Chelsea, it's important to win," Poyet added. "If Chelsea don't win, the fans are not going to be happy because the Chelsea fans are winners and they feel the need to win. 

"I think personality is very important. I think it's very important when a coach in the situation that Chelsea are now can start winning games, but at the same time they will develop young players.

"I don't know how many managers will walk into a club in the quarter-final of the Champions League. It's a dream job. But I think Chelsea first need to be clear what are the characteristics of the manager [they want]."

Graham Potter's Chelsea dismissal was "harsh" but ultimately the price of failing to meet expectations, according to Blues great Gus Poyet.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager was appointed to replace Thomas Tuchel last September as new co-owner Todd Boehly began to make his presence known at Stamford Bridge.

But after slipping to 11th in the Premier League with defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, Potter was sacked just over six months into the job.

Poyet, a Chelsea cult hero and former Brighton boss himself, feels the decision to fire the 47-year-old was a tough one but ultimately unsurprising given their slide down the table.

"I think it was a difficult period," he told Stats Perform. "They had a few good results, especially in the Champions League, and it looked [like] a new beginning.

"But football nowadays, it depends on so many things. We don't analyse performances anymore, only a result. I think for Graham in particular, it's harsh.

"Brighton to Chelsea is a big change. That is a learning process, but at the same time, it's Chelsea. When you are in a team like Chelsea, with the money spent, you definitely cannot be 11th."

Having dismissed Champions League-winning coach Tuchel in order to install Potter, Poyet feels Boehly will be cautious when it comes to his next pick.

"He's learned that at Chelsea, it's important to win," Poyet added. "If Chelsea don't win, the fans are not going to be happy because the Chelsea fans are winners and they feel the need to win. 

"I think personality is very important. I think it's very important when a coach in the situation that Chelsea are now can start winning games, but at the same time they will develop young players.

"I don't know how many managers will walk into a club in the quarter-final of the Champions League. It's a dream job. But I think Chelsea first need to be clear what are the characteristics of the manager [they want]."

Luis Suarez is "blowing up LaLiga" to prove to Barcelona that he is not finished, according to Gustavo Poyet.

Barca made the decision to allow Suarez to leave in the close-season after a successful six-year stay at Camp Nou.

Domestic rivals Atletico Madrid moved swiftly to sign him on a two-year contract in September and have reaped the rewards.

Uruguay international Suarez has scored 12 goals in 15 league games, adding two assists, and his side sat seven points clear at the top of the table heading into the weekend's top-flight action.

His compatriot Poyet, who formerly starred with Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham, believes Suarez has been desperate to show he is not past his best, having turned 34 this month.

Discussing why he thinks Atletico are title favourites, Poyet told Stats Perform News: "They took a very important decision which would not be easy for some people.

"It was easy for El Cholo [head coach Diego Simeone], from what I know of him.

"Bringing in Luis Suarez as Barcelona didn't want him, bring him in now. And Luis went with his mentality, 'I will show you who I am'.

"A bit like a Uruguayan I am, 'You don't want me? Am I over? Let’s see!'. 

"And this is blowing up LaLiga."

Leaving Barcelona gave Suarez the push he needed to make changes and give something extra, in the view of Poyet.

He added: "What it shows is that sometimes football players need something different, just something.

"It can be a different treatment or being tougher [on them]. But they need something to react to.

"He was low, not bad, but like the [Barcelona] team, he was low. He needed a new challenge and sometimes it is tough to get it in the same club.

"It can happen with arrival of a new manager, or signing a new player who becomes a rival of yours. There are different ways, but if it does not happen, it looks difficult.

"However, there is no doubt that joining such a special team like Atletico with such a special coach, similar character [to Suarez], you get it and he is showing that extra [effort] needed.

"Sometimes we all need to realise. Get out from the club and notice that you have to do something to change the situation.

"I was not doubtful on his performance, especially playing in that system and having that responsibility.

"I don't forget it that it was him or Diego Costa [playing] at the beginning, sometimes both together. But at the time, Costa had gone, with all the respect to other players, it was only Luis Suarez.

"That also gives him the responsibility on scoring 20 to 30 goals and Luis accepts it in a natural way."

Atletico play away to Cadiz on Sunday and Poyet was asked if he thinks they can finish the job and win the title in the second half of the season.

"I do, for two reasons," he replied. "First, they are very strong, all credit to them, and also, because Real Madrid and Barcelona are currently really poor.

"I don't see any consistency in any of them. Unfortunately, when I look at Barcelona or Real Madrid I don't know what to expect from them, I don't know what is going to happen.

"And that proves it is a year for other teams like Atletico Madrid of El Cholo to go the distance, to actually show they belong at the top without any falling.

"We will see how they can keep it up. We know everything can change with injuries, sending-offs, everything can become really difficult. But no doubts, the main candidate is Atletico Madrid."