Spain, Portugal confirm Morocco, don't rule out Ukraine from World Cup 2030 bid

Spain and Portugal confirmed the addition of Morocco to their bid to host the 2030 World Cup and said Ukraine may still be included, in a statement on Wednesday.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI announced on Tuesday that his country had joined the bid by the two European countries, apparently replacing war-torn Ukraine in a three-way alliance.

Spain and Portugal declared their joint candidacy in 2021, before adding Ukraine to their bid last October.

"Ukraine's participation in the project will be finalised at the appropriate time, due to the situation in the country, and the UAF (Ukrainian Federation of Football) president, Andriy Pavelko, who is currently suspended from his duties," said the Spanish and Portuguese football federations in a joint statement.

Spanish media had reported that the arrest in November of Pavelko over fraud allegations had left Ukraine out of the running.

Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales and his Portuguese counterpart Fernando Gomes announced the decision at a UEFA meeting taking place in Kigali in relation to the FIFA Congress.

Earlier on Wednesday the Spanish and Portuguese prime ministers welcomed Morocco's move to join their bid, saying it boosted their chances of hosting the event.

"I think this bid by the Iberian Peninsula with Morocco is very positive," Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa told a joint news conference with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on the Spanish island of Lanzarote.

"It sends an important message to the entire world and especially Europe and Africa, since it says that we are two neighbouring continents, two continents that want to work together," he added.

"It is the first time that a joint bid is presented from both sides of the Mediterranean, a bid