PEDRO Sanchez has endorsed a bid for the World Cup to be hosted in Spain and Portugal in 2030.

The Spanish prime minister said that his government wished ‘to express their desire and commitment to host the 2030 World Cup’ alongside Portugal. 

He made the announcement on Friday during a small symbolic ceremony at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, ahead of a Euro 2020 warm-up between the two nations.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa attended the event and the  two leaders signed their accord in the presence of Spain’s King Felipe VI and Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Atletico Madrid stadium shortly before kick off.

“Today we sign the commitment of both federations to work together for a World Cup,” said the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Gomes.

Spain hosted the World Cup in 1982 at Camp Not in Barcelona but t a victorious bid would mark the first time hosting for Portugal. 

A Spanish/ Portugese bid would face opposition from the joint campaign of the UK and Ireland as well as the bid from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which would be buoyed by 2030 marking the centenary of the first World Cup, in Uruguay.

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