With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar now less than two months away, planning for future tournaments has already begun for the 2030 installment of the beautiful games’ global spectacle after FIFA has received three official host bids.
OFFICIAL: Ukraine has joined Spain and Portugal’s bid to co-host the 2030 Men’s World Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/7QRwsteuvs
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 5, 2022
Despite the upsetting events that continue to unfold in Ukraine after an unsanctioned and unjust invasion of the Eastern European nation by Russia under the Vladimir Putin regime, the country has added its name alongside Spain and Portugal in what is now a joint-bid between the three countries, one that the Spanish and Portuguese football federations are happy to be a part of.
President of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, stated: “Our bid is not an Iberian bid anymore, it’s a European bid. 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.”
The Portuguese Football Federation verbally added its weight to the bid through president Fernando Soares Gomes da Silva as well: “The example of tenacity and resilience set by the Ukrainian people is inspiring. This proposal aims to contribute through the power of football to the recovery of a country undergoing reconstruction.”
“We are convinced that by 2030 we will have peace in Europe and that Ukraine will be able to host it in the best way possible.”
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: The three joint-bids for the 2030 World Cup:
🇪🇸 Spain 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇺🇦 Ukraine
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇬🇷 Greece 🇪🇬 Egypt
🇦🇷 Argentina 🇺🇾 Uruguay 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇨🇱 Chile
(Source: @TheAthleticUK)
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 5, 2022
The three-nation bid was joined by two other joint-offers that have now been placed on FIFA’s desk after Saudi Arabia leads a second proposal delegation that is also comprised of Egypt and Greece, while a four-nation bid spearheaded by Argentina includes three other nations in the vein of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.
The highly successful 2002 World Cup co-hosted by Japan and South Korea is a notable footnote for those wishing to host 2030, while the 2026 World Cup has already been secured by the United States, Mexico, and Canada as the three leading figures in CONCACAF banded together to see the tournament return to North America for the fourth time.
