Ukraine and Poland discuss joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup

Ukraine is interested in a joint bid with Poland to host the men's FIFA World Cup and is considering the next available host selection cycle. According to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, the perspective is already the 2040s. The Polish side is also discussing this possibility, but no official bid has been made yet.

This is reported by Politico, citing Bidnyi and an interlocutor familiar with the position of the Polish government.

The Ukrainian minister confirmed that Kyiv would like to explore the possibility of co-hosting the tournament with Poland in the next cycle where the World Cup host has not yet been determined.

"The nearest available date for the World Cup is somewhere in the 2040s, so we need to start planning now with that perspective in mind", Bidnyi said.

The specific year of the potential tournament and the formal parameters of the bid have not yet been determined. The 2030 World Cup will be hosted mostly by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, and Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.

The idea has already been discussed with the Polish side

According to Politico, Poland is also discussing the possibility of a joint bid. The interlocutor familiar with the Polish government's position said that the topic was raised, in particular, during talks on the sidelines of this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk.

Meanwhile, the Polish Ministry of Sport did not respond to the publication's request regarding the talks.

No formal candidacy process has been started either. Ukrainian sports and football structures must go through the relevant procedures, and a future bid will depend on the selection rules set by FIFA for the respective championship.

Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports, Vasyl Mokan, said the committee has not yet received official information about such negotiations, but called the idea promising.

Ukraine proposes to repeat the Euro-2012 model

Bidnyi reminded that Ukraine and Poland already have experience co-organizing one of the biggest football tournaments – the 2012 European Championship.

"It would be very logical to repeat this successful case", the minister said.

In his opinion, preparations for a major international tournament could be significant for Ukraine not only in the sporting context. A potential bid can draw investors' attention to the reconstruction of transport, hotel, sports, and other infrastructure.

During Euro-2012, matches in Ukraine took place in Kyiv, Donetsk, Lviv, and Kharkiv, and the final was held at the NSC "Olimpiyskiy" in the capital.

After the start of Russian aggression, part of the infrastructure created or modernized for the tournament ended up in occupied territories or was damaged. In particular, the Donbas Arena, which hosted five Euro-2012 matches, ceased to be used by its club after the occupation of Donetsk and suffered damage.

Without the end of the war, hosting a tournament in Ukraine is impossible

The practical implementation of such a project will directly depend on the security situation in Ukraine.

Mokan emphasized that the necessary preconditions for hosting World Cup matches in Ukraine are the end of the war, a just and lasting peace, and reliable long-term security guarantees.

Until these conditions are met, it is premature to talk about actually hosting the World Cup in Ukrainian cities. At the same time, he said, the scale of such a project means that long-term planning must start early.

Another key issue will be infrastructure reconstruction. According to the latest joint assessment by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the UN, the country's recovery and reconstruction needs over the next decade are estimated at nearly $588 billion.

Thus, for now, it is about preliminary consideration of the idea, not an already submitted candidacy of Ukraine and Poland. The final format, possible year, and procedure for competing for the tournament will depend on the end of the war, Ukraine's reconstruction, and future FIFA decisions.

Based on materials from: Politico Europe, Przegląd Sportowy Onet