The football federations of Spain and Portugal have confirmed the inclusion of Ukraine in their 2030 World Cup bid. Ukraine is currently at war with Russia.
The World Cup is around the corner. It kicks off in November with Qatar hosting the world at what it intends to make a spectacular event. The right to host the World Cup is usually a rigorous process that takes years of lobbying and vast amounts of money.
The bidding process is usually fraught with irregularities and accusations of unhealthy practices by the country that eventually wins the hosting right. FIFA has been at the butt of bribery accusations.
In 2020, the US Department of Justice alleged that the last two World Cups were fraught with irregularities. Following years of investigations and indictments, the United States Department of Justice said representatives working for Russia and Qatar had bribed FIFA officials to secure hosting rights for the World Cup.
It is the murky world of bidding for the World Cup. Despite this, Spain and Portugal continue their quest to win the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup. The Iberian countries recently confirmed that Ukraine is now part of their bid.
Ukraine joins Spain and Portugal in World Cup bid
The football federations of Spain and Portugal are keen to host the 2030 World Cup. They have put their hands in the air for the hosting rights. A revelation suggests the two football federations have agreed with the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) to be part of their World Cup bid.
They announced it at the headquarters of UEFA in Switzerland. According to the Spanish and Portugal football federation, the decision has the backing of the government of the three nations as well as UEFA – European football’s governing body.
The bid perhaps was motivated by the success of the US, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It will be the first time three nations will jointly host the Mundial. The only multi-national World Cup was hosted in 2002 by Japan and Korea. The World Cup has become so attractive that it has attracted the attention of different governments.
A conviction about the bid
In a statement concerning the decision made via Reuters, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, said the bid was no longer an Iberian bid. It has become a European bid. Rubiales believes in the chances of the three nations locking down the hosting rights.
The RFEF president spoke of his conviction their bid is much better than before. Rubiales claims football is universal and should be for good.
A statement on the official website of the RFEF states that the bid intends to build bridges and send out a message of unity, solidarity and generosity from all European football. It also claims that work is already underway from the Coordinating Commission to integrate Ukraine into the bid.
The statement continues that the candidacy will help to strengthen ties with Europe, as it will generate hope and provide reconstruction tools for the Ukrainian people. It also states that the people of Ukraine have expressed pride and gratitude for their inclusion in the project.
Spain is keen to provide 11 venues, while Portugal expects to continue providing three. They expect Ukraine will be able to host and contribute to the tournament by 2030.
