Alex Trelinski
SPAIN and Portugal’s football associations have confirmed that Ukraine has been added to their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The three nations announced their collaborative bid at a media conference at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon on Wednesday.
Ukraine intends to host one of the groups if the joint bid is successful.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation(RFEF) said: “The RFEF and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have incorporated the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) into the Iberian Bid to stage the 2030 World Cup.”
“The proposal has the unconditional support of UEFA in a global project and transformer of European football in an exceptional situation.
RFEF president Luis Rubiales added: “It is no longer the Iberian bid, now it is the European bid.”
“In Portugal and in Spain, we have seen see how friends and families are hosting tens of thousands of Ukrainian exiles.”
“I am convinced that these boys and girls will remember this historical moment for them and that one day, peace will come,” said Rubiales.
The 2030 World Cup will be a 48-team tournament with the finals set to be expanded for the first time in 2026 to be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Spain, Portugal and Ukraine will take on a number of joint bids for the 2030 finals including an eye-catching four-nation application from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.
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