Ukraine has joined Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) at UEFA’s Swiss headquarters confirmed the news of Ukraine’s participation in the bid.
Spain, Portugal and Ukraine’s bid for the 2030 World Cup is supported by European football’s governing body UEFA.
“Our bid is no longer an Iberian dialect, it is a European dialect,” Spanish association president Luis Rubiales told a news conference at UEFA’s Swiss headquarters on Wednesday.
“I believe that now our bid is much better than before. Football is universal and if it is capable of changing people’s lives in so many ways then it should also be used to do good.”
It will compete against a joint South American proposal from Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, as well as cooperation between other bids such as Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine’s participation in the UEFA-backed bid is a powerful statement the Eastern European country is currently defending its land in the midst of an ongoing invasion of Russia.
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It is expected that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will end by the time the 2030 World Cup takes place.
UEFA has previously underscored its commitment to see the World Cup played in Europe, specifically Spain and Portugal.
Last month, President Alexander Ceferin said he was confident the Iberian bid for the 2030 World Cup would be successful, adding: “I see it as a winning bid.