October 6, (THEWILL) – On Wednesday, it was revealed that Ukraine had joined Spain and Portugal in a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
With Ukraine joining as a third host, the “Iberian bid” that Spain, Portugal, and other hosts had previously formed is now known as a “European bid”
Ukraine’s involvement was first mentioned in reports on Tuesday, and it was then verified by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) at UEFA’s Swiss headquarters on Wednesday, with the support of Europe’s governing body.
The 48-team event, which will be the second to feature enlarged teams after the 2026 World Cup in North America, will have Ukraine as the host of one of the groups. The European Championship was previously held in 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, while the same event was held in Portugal in 2004. Both have never hosted the World Cup, although Spain did so in 1982.
A final choice will be made in 2024, and the European bid will compete with others for the privilege to host the tournament in 2030.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
