Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), added that the transfer has “the full support” of UEFA, saying, “football is more than football. It’s a logical and natural decision.”
The 2022 World Cup will start Nov. 20 in Qatar, and the 2026 event will happen within the United States, Canada and Mexico. Gomes famous that, though 2030 appears distant, “Ukraine cannot disappear from our minds once the war is over. We have to give them hope.”
The FPF praised “the example of tenacity and resilience set by the Ukrainian people” in a press release. “This proposal aims to contribute through the power of football to the recovery of a country undergoing reconstruction.”
Other doubtless bids may come from a collaboration of Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia or from a South American group of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. By 2030, the World Cup may have expanded to a 48-team event, including 16 groups to the present format beginning in 2026.
In February, Russia invaded Ukraine within the largest army invasion in Europe since World War II, with many countries standing with Ukraine. At the second, the partnership is extra symbolic and aspirational, sending a message to residents of the war-torn nation.
“The candidacy [of Spain, Portugal and Ukraine] strengthens ties with Europe by generating hope,” the RFEF mentioned, “and providing reconstruction tools to the Ukrainian people, who have expressed their pride and gratitude for participating in this project.”