Spain and Portugal have integrated Ukraine into their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, confirmed the presidents of the three countries' football federations at a press conference at UEFA headquarters on Wednesday.
The Portuguese and Spanish football associations informed the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) about their plan to involve Ukraine in their World Cup hosting application and immediately received its full support.
"The example of perseverance and resilience of the Ukrainian people is inspiring and this initiative aims to contribute to the country's recovery through the power of football," the countries said in a joint statement.
Related News
- World Cup 2022: Qatar obliges citizens to provide security
- Belgian Red Devils get human rights lessons in run-up to Qatar World Cup
- Belgian Football Union urges Qatar to create centres for migrant workers
While they said that the terms of Ukraine's participation in the application will be discussed and determined later, they also stressed that all three candidacies "will meet all the criteria and deadlines for applying to the FIFA international football association."
Spain, Portugal and Ukraine will have to compete against the joint plan of Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia and the South American initiative of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.
Despite criticism about numerous human rights violations, this year's World Cup will be played in Qatar. The next one, in four years' time, will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
