Ukraine will join Portugal’s and Spain’s bid to co-host the 2023 men’s football World Cup, which is backed by the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The bid for the partnership is backed by Zelenskyy, and its confirmation is expected at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Ukraine has been under full-scale invasion by Russia since 24 February, and It is understood that if the bid is successful, then Ukraine will host one of the tournament’s groups.
Two years ago, Portugal and Spain confirmed that they would make a joint proposal to host the 2030 football World Cup, but now the addition of Ukraine would give it a new dimension.
Ukraine’s national team is playing their home matches in Poland, and the domestic league, which restarted successfully in August, is taking place behind closed doors. Ukraine has a time of eight years, in which the security concerns will be far less pronounced.
Previously, in 2012, Ukraine co-hosted Euro 2012 with Poland, which shows that it can stage large-scale events in peacetime.
The bid from Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine will face competition, as there are also strong competitors in the line to host the 2030 World Cup. The first strong competitor is a collaboration between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece. The second strong competitor is a South American proposal from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.
Last month, Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president, said he believed Spain and Portugal would put together a winning bid.
