Ukraine incorporated into Portugal and Spain’s World Cup 2030 bid | OneFootball

Portugal and Spain’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup will incorporate Ukraine in staging the event should FIFA award the tournament to the UEFA-backed candidature, it was announced today.

Although the exact details of Ukraine's participation were not specified, it is thought Ukraine would host all of the matches of one of the groups in the first phase of the tournament.

At a time when most football fans are turning their focus on the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, where visits to sites such as Oddsninja.com will multiply, the Iberian bid called a press conference to make the surprise announcement.

A joint statement by the Portuguese and Spanish football federations said that when they communicated their intention to include Ukraine in the bid to UEFA, Europe’s football governing body immediately expressed its full support.

“This proposal aims to contribute to the recuperation of a country undergoing reconstruction through the power of football,” said the Portuguese Football Federation, adding that “the example of the tenacity and resilience of the Ukrainian people is inspirational.”

Logical and natural decision

According to Fernando Gomes, the head of the FPF, the incorporation of Ukraine into the joint World Cup 2030 bid was a logical and natural decision.

“Some may look at this decision as surprising and unexpected. For us, it was a logical and natural decision,” said Gomes at a press conference at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

“The devastation, the fleeing of millions of Ukrainians from their homeland, and the uncertainty about their future weighed on our wish to integrate Ukraine into the candidature, which was straight away met with the unconditional support from the UEFA president.”

The heads of the governments of Portugal and Spain, António Costa and Pedro Sánchez respectively, issued simultaneous tweets in Portuguese and Spanish saying they wanted a “World Cup for peace, but also to show the best values of Europe.”

The Iberian-led candidature to host World Cup 2030 faces competition from South America (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay), Africa (Morocco) and an intercontinental bid (Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece).