Ukraine has lost its place in the collective bid with Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Sky Sports journalist Rob Harris reports..

The place of Ukraine in the application will be taken by Morocco, which was confirmed in his address by the king of the country Mohammed VI.

Earlier media reported that Ukraine is close to losing its place in the application due to a full-scale military invasion of Russia and problems with the leadership of the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF). The president of the organization, Andriy Pavelko, is a defendant in a number of criminal cases on corruption.

FIFA initially rejected a single Moroccan bid for the 2026 World Cup due to the cost of building the necessary infrastructure - about $ 16 billion. Now spending will be reduced, given the co-hosting of the tournament. FIFA also had questions to the African country regarding anti-LGBT laws..

At the same time, Morocco is close to Spain, and the joint application of countries from Europe and Africa will have a better chance of winning the vote..

Moroccans unsuccessfully tried five times to win the right to host the World Cup in the past.

Two more group bids are expected to compete for hosting the tournament: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece, as well as Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.

The hosts of the 2030 World Cup will be elected at the 74th FIFA Congress next year..

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Earlier it was reported that Ukraine planned to hold matches of the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Crimea and Donbass..