Spain and Portugal to consider joint bid for 2030 World Cup

PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Spain and Portugal will consider a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

The soccer federations released a statement on Saturday saying they will start a “thorough process to analyze the possibility of presenting a joint bid.”

Morocco had been previously included in talks about bidding along with Spain and Portugal, but the country was not mentioned in the federations’ statement this time.

The federations said the governments of Spain and Portugal will play a key role in any possible bid.

Other bidders for the 2030 World Cup might include Britain together with Ireland, and a coalition of South American countries Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile.

The host for the 2030 event will be announced at the FIFA Congress in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Portugal is hosting the inaugural Nations League this week. It also hosted the 2004 European Championship.

Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup and the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. It later failed in consecutive bids for other Olympic Games.