Ukraine, Poland explore joint FIFA World Cup bid

Ukraine and Poland are considering a joint bid to host the men's FIFA World Cup in the 2040s, according to officials from both countries. Ukraine's sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, told POLITICO that Ukraine would like to host the tournament with Poland in the next open World Cup slot, as the country is currently engaged in a long-term recovery from the invasion by Russian forces.

Poland is also discussing the possibility, with an official from the Warsaw government stating that their nearest opportunity to host would be in the 2040s. The Ukrainian government estimates that the costs of reconstruction and recovery would be nearly $588 billion over the next decade, which is almost three times the country's projected nominal GDP for 2025.

The invasion has left Ukraine with significant infrastructure challenges, as seen in the Donbas Arena, which hosted five matches at Euro 2012 before being damaged by Russian-backed separatists in 2014. While the idea of a joint bid has been raised in conversations on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, it would need to originate with the sports community or football federations.

The proposal is seen as a symbol of European solidarity with Ukraine, but it would also require credible long-term security guarantees and credible long-term security guarantees to be considered.