Ukraine joins Spain, Portugal’s bid for 2030 World Cup

Ukraine on Wednesday officially joined Spain and Portugal’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.

Spain and Portugal had already confirmed a joint bid to host the tournament last year but have now joined forces with Ukraine in order to ‘change lives’ and ‘do good’ in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.

‘Our bid is not an Iberian bid any more, it’s a European bid,’ president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales said.

‘I’m convinced that now our bid is much better than before. Football is universal and if it is capable of changing the life of people in so many ways it should also be used for doing good.’

Also aiming to host the 2030 World Cup are a South American bid made up of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, as well as a transcontinental partnership between Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia.

A statement from the Portuguese football federation claims their three-way partnership has ‘unconditional support’ from UEFA and believes that by 2030 they will have ‘peace in Europe’.

It is not known exactly how the addition of Ukraine will change the logistics of the tournament, though Spain say that it will not affect the planned 11 venues in Spain and three in Portugal.