Ukraine has joined Spain and Portugal's combined effort to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup after the embattled nation's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy sanctioned the push. The news first broke on Tuesday and was then confirmed on Wednesday afternoon with Ukraine in line to host one of the tournament's groups if the bid is successful.
Ukraine has been under invasion by Russia since late February and is now part of the joint Spanish and Portuguese effort which was formed two years ago. At present, Ukraine's national team play home games in Poland and the domestic league remains behind closed doors after successfully restarting back in August.
OFFICIAL: Ukraine join Spain and Portugal's bid to co-host the 2030 men's FIFA World Cup. 🇺🇦🇪🇸🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/DGAP6kYxXX
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 5, 2022
The move gives the situation eight years to be less of a security concern than it is today, and Ukraine also has experience of hosting a major international tournament after its combined effort with Poland for the 2012 UEFA European Championship.
This bid from the UEFA zone will be up against a joint submission featuring Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia as well as a South American effort by Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile.
The president of European soccer's governing body, Aleksander Ceferin, has previously stated his confidence that a Spanish and Portuguese bid would be successful.
Ukraine's addition to the proposed 2030 event now makes the bid even more prominent given the current political context.
