Spain and Portugal announce bid to be joint hosts

Spain and Portugal will make a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

A symbolic ceremony was held before the nations played a Euro 2020 warm-up at Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium.

Spain's King Felipe VI and Portugal president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa were present as each nation's prime minister signed an agreement to support the bid.

Both teams wore T-shirts bearing 'Vamos 2030' before the friendly in Madrid, which marks the centenary of Portugal's first international.

The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar while Canada, Mexico and the USA will be joint hosts in 2026.

FIFA plans to select the 2030 host in 2024.

Spain and Portugal could face competition from other joint bids under discussion: one from the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and one from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile, aimed to coincide with the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay.

[Source: BBC]