--- title: "Ukraine Explores Possibility of Jointly Hosting the FIFA World Cup with Poland" description: "Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sport Matviy Bedny told Politico that Kyiv is exploring the possibility of a joint bid with Poland for the 2040s FIFA World Cup. Warsaw has not yet confirmed the negotiations." date: 2026-09-04T10:46:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-poland-joint-fifa-world-cup-bid tags: [ukraine, poland, fifa, world-cup, football, sport-policy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine Explores Possibility of Jointly Hosting the FIFA World Cup with Poland ![Football official in a business suit gesturing during an interview about Ukraine and Poland co-hosting the FIFA World Cup](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/ukraina-polsha-sovmestnaya-zayavka-na-chm-po-futbolu/ukraina-polsha-sovmestnaya-zayavka-na-chm-po-futbolu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Minister Matviy Bedny told Politico that Ukraine is interested in a joint bid with Poland for the FIFA World Cup in the 2040s. - There is no official bid to FIFA yet: the minister emphasized that it must come from the sports federations. - Poland stated that its Ministry of Sport and Tourism is not in negotiations with Ukraine about a joint World Cup. - The nearest World Cups: 2030 — Spain, Portugal, Morocco; 2034 — Saudi Arabia, so the available date is the 2040s. Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sport Matviy Bedny told Politico in an interview that Kyiv is interested in exploring the possibility of a joint bid with Poland to host the FIFA World Cup. According to him, the nearest available date for hosting the tournament falls in the 2040s, which is why, as he emphasized, this prospect needs to be planned for right now. 'We remain a country focused on major sporting achievements. This is part of our national culture, and we want to develop it despite all the challenges,' the minister stated, adding that such a bid could attract investors' attention to Ukraine. ### The 2012 Experience as a Benchmark In support of the joint project, Bedny referred to the existing experience of the two countries in organizing a major football tournament: in 2012, Ukraine and Poland jointly hosted the European Championship. In the minister's assessment, it is logical to replicate this successful experience at the World Cup level. Thus, the initiative is built on a precedent that both countries have already realized in the past and is positioned as a continuation of sports partnership rather than a new format of cooperation. ### Bid Status: Interest, Not a Document It is important to note that, at this point, the discussion is not about a bid submitted to FIFA but about exploring the prospect. Bedny specifically emphasized that an official bid must come from the sports community or the football federations. This means that, at the state level, only interest in such a project has been recorded, while the formal procedures for submitting a bid have not yet been initiated. The minister also linked the initiative to broader goals — attracting investment and strengthening the country's image as a venue for major sporting events. ### Contradictory Data The two sides' versions on the question of a joint bid diverge. According to Matviy Bedny, the Ukrainian side is actively exploring the possibility of a joint project with Poland and considers it part of the national strategy in sports. At the same time, the Polish side, according to information obtained by Politico from the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism, stated that it is not currently in negotiations with Ukraine about jointly hosting the World Cup. Thus, it is more accurate to speak of a unilateral Ukrainian initiative and the possibility of such a project, rather than of a formed or agreed joint bid. The difference in the parties' positions may be related to the fact that, at the level of state ministries, formal contacts have not yet begun, while at the level of sports structures, interest has already been expressed. ### Who and When Will Host the Next World Cups The context of the minister's statements becomes clearer when considering the current allocation of hosts for the nearest tournaments. The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, while Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. This is precisely why, as Bedny noted, the nearest realistically available date for a new bid is the 2040s. This defines the long-term nature of the initiative: it is a project that will require years of infrastructure preparation, coordination with FIFA, and the establishment of bilateral agreements, which makes the current exploration of the option a logical first step. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Ukraine Wants to Host the FIFA World Cup with Poland: Minister's Statement](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/ukrayina-hoche-provesti-chs-futbolu-razom-1788518557.html) - Первичный источник: заявление Матвея Бедного изданию Politico, сроки 2040-х, отсутствие официальной заявки, позиция Польши об отсутствии переговоров. - [Ukraine Wants to Host One of the Next FIFA World Cups](https://ukranews.com/news/1173021-ukraina-hochet-prinyat-u-sebya-odin-iz-sleduyushhih-chempionatov-mira-po-futbolu) - Подтверждает намерение Украины рассмотреть проведение одного из ближайших ЧМ. - [Ukraine and Poland May Jointly Compete for the Right to Host the FIFA World Cup](https://korrespondent.net/sport/football/4909008-ukrayna-y-polsha-mohut-sovmestno-poborotsia-za-provedenye-chm-po-futbolu) - Подтверждает формат совместной заявки и контекст переговоров. - [Ukraine Clarifies the Situation on Submitting a Joint Bid with Poland to Host the World Cup](https://sportnews.24tv.ua/ru/chs-v-ukraine-i-polshe-peregovory-o-podache-zajavki-ne-nachalis_n3135998) - Уточняет, что переговоры о подаче заявки на уровне министерств еще не начались. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Have Ukraine and Poland submitted an official bid to FIFA for the World Cup? **A:** No. According to Minister Matviy Bedny, Ukraine is currently only exploring the prospect, and an official bid must come from the sports community or the football federations. No bid has been submitted to FIFA yet. ### Q: When could a joint World Cup take place? **A:** The nearest available date for hosting the World Cup, according to the minister's assessment, is the 2040s, since the 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, and the 2034 World Cup by Saudi Arabia. ### Q: Has Poland confirmed the joint project? **A:** No. The Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism, according to Politico, stated that it is not in negotiations with Ukraine about jointly hosting the World Cup, so this is currently a unilateral Ukrainian initiative. ### Q: Do the countries have experience of joint tournaments? **A:** Yes. In 2012, Ukraine and Poland jointly hosted the European football championship, and the minister considers it logical to replicate this experience at the World Cup level.