The denial contradicts an earlier report that cited Ukraine's sports minister and a Polish government official. Poland's sports ministry has denied holding talks with Ukraine about a joint bid to host a future FIFA World Cup, contradicting an earlier report that cited Ukraine's sports minister and a Polish government official. POLITICO reported on Thursday that Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi had said Kyiv was interested in exploring a joint bid with Poland for a World Cup in the 2040s. The news outlet also quoted Bidnyi saying: “The nearest open date for the World Cup is somewhere in the 2040s … so we need to plan for this perspective right now.” But the Polish ministry of sport has since denied any plans to co-host the championships. The ministry told TVP World on Friday: “The Ministry of Sport and Tourism is not conducting talks with the Ukrainian side on the organization of the football World Cup.” Ukraine's stance Ukraine's Ministry of Youth and Sports sent TVP World its own statement on the matter, saying: “Ukraine is not holding any official negotiations or consultations with Poland regarding a joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup.” It said Bidnyi had been asked in his POLITICO interview about Ukraine’s post-war ambitions to host major tournaments. The minister stressed that the state’s priorities were “victory in the war and the safety of its citizens,” the ministry said. Ukraine had successfully co-hosted Euro 2012 with Poland and could host major sporting events again “once a just peace and security are restored,” it added. But any World Cup discussion remained “a long-term vision, not an operational plan,” as attention was focused on supporting athletes and veterans and on Ukrainians’ physical and mental recovery during the war. POLITICO earlier reported that the idea had been discussed on the sidelines of this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, citing an official briefed by the Polish government. If the idea went ahead, it would face formidable obstacles even if the two countries eventually pursued it. A war-torn nation Russia's full-scale invasion has devastated Ukraine's infrastructure and created reconstruction needs estimated at nearly $588 billion over the next decade. The war has also destroyed or damaged some of the infrastructure used during Euro 2012. Donbas Arena in Donetsk, which hosted five matches at the tournament, was later damaged by shelling after Russian-backed separatists seized the city in 2014. Shakhtar Donetsk has never returned to the stadium. Any future Ukrainian hosting role would therefore depend on lasting peace and credible security guarantees. The proposal also comes as Poland-Ukraine relations have become more strained, with disputes over World War Two history and Ukrainian nationalism fueling growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland. A recent poll found 46% of Poles viewed relations with Ukraine negatively, the highest level recorded by the pollster.
Many stadiums across Ukraine were damaged in Russian airstrikes. (Michael Shtekel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
