Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes addresses 2030 World Cup ambitions with Portugal

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is hopeful that he will still be in a position to feature for Portugal at the 2030 World Cup.

It was announced last week that the 2030 edition of the showpiece event will be co-hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco, with the opening three matches to be staged in South America. The event will mark the centenary of the World Cup, and the first tournament of its type to be played in three different continents.

A total of 48 nations will compete in the tournament, with the same number of teams expected to participate in the next World Cup in 2026. As a result, 104 fixtures will make up future World Cups.

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The 2030 edition, though, promises to be even more different from that of the one coming up in three years' time, not least because three different host nations will have the eyes of the world on them. Among them, of course, is Portugal, who are still searching for their first-ever World Cup crown.

And although Fernandes will be 35 by the time the 2030 World Cup kicks off, the United ace, who scored twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is already targeting a place in the squad but is mindful of the level of talent making its way through the ranks.

"A place [in the squad] is getting more and more expensive," Fernandes told RTP. "Increasingly, clubs are investing in youth teams, so that more players come [to the national team].

"At that time [of the 2030 World Cup] it will be even more expensive, but, if I'm fit, and I'm at a level that is the minimum acceptable to be here, I hope to be here. Representing the national team in a