Spain and Portugal will reportedly add Ukraine to their joint bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Should the countries be granted hosting duties, Ukraine — which was invaded by Russia on Feb. 24, 2022 — would likely host one group in the competition, promoting the idea that soccer can “rebuild hope and peace,” according to a report from The Times.

• An official announcement is anticipated in the coming days during a press conference at UEFA’s headquarters.
• The governing body is expected to fully back the bid, as it wants the World Cup to take place solely in Europe.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin recently said he is “sure that the 2030 World Cup will be played in Spain and Portugal,” adding that “we will do everything possible to help two countries that are passionate, live and breathe football, and that have a good infrastructure.”

The countries will go up against a joint bid from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay, as well as a reported joint bid from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Greece — the latter of which FIFA president Gianni Infantino reportedly likes, due to the inclusion of an African nation.

Host Nations

Spain hosted the World Cup in 1982. Portugal and Ukraine haven’t hosted the tournament but have been home to the European Championship finals in 2004 and 2012, respectively.

The 2022 World Cup runs Nov. 21-Dec. 18 in Qatar, which expects the tournament to add up to $17 billion to its economy. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 tournament.

With each passing day, the timeline for the A’s to strike a deal to stay in Oakland gets tighter.

The team is hoping to secure a deal by the end of the year, before mayor Libby Schaaf, who has championed the A’s proposed $12 billion waterfront development, and two city council members who have supported the project leave office. 

• Those two council members, Loren Taylor and Sheng Thao, are among 10 candidates running to replace Schaaf.

• City Administrator Ed Reiskin said on Sept. 20 that negotiations between the city and team would have to conclude in roughly one week to allow for a binding council vote by the end of the year.
• The final council meeting of the year is Dec. 20.

On Friday, a state appeals court ruled against the A’s by determining that the state Department of Toxic Substances Control acted legally in classifying metals treated by metal shredding company Schnitzer Steel as non-hazardous. 

Schnitzer Steel operates near Howard Terminal, where the A’s hope to build a stadium, housing, park land, retail, restaurants, and a hotel.

Vegas Awaits

The time crunch in Oakland, which hinges in part on a $182.9 million grant the city applied for from the U.S. Department of Transportation, has raised hopes in Las Vegas that the team could move there.

The team has scouted a handful of locations, with recent attention focused on the 38-acre Las Vegas Festival Grounds, owned by casino magnate Phil Ruffin. Bally’s Tropicana site is also of interest to the team.

Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver has reportedly hired investment bank and advisory firm Moelis & Company to facilitate the sale of the two pro basketball franchises. 

In September, Sarver was suspended by the NBA for a year and fined $10 million after an investigation revealed his bullying and use of racially and sexually inappropriate language in the workplace. 

The probe was initiated after an ESPN report in 2021 detailed many of the allegations.  

• Last month, Sarver vowed to sell the Suns and Mercury to not be a distraction.
• Sarver purchased a 30% stake in the Suns in 2004 for $401 million.
• The team is valued at $1.8 billion — ranking 18th in the NBA, per Forbes.
• A sale could now fetch more than $2 billion.

Sarver is working with Moelis & Co. after the firm guided an ownership group led by Todd Boehly and investment firm Clearlake Capital in its $5 billion purchase of Chelsea FC in May. Moelis & Co. also works with Diamond Sports Group, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group. 

Lack of Support 

In September, Jahm Najafi — a Suns vice chairman who holds the second-largest stake in the team — penned an open letter to employees and players calling for Sarver to sell his stake.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he doesn’t “have the right to take away his team,” while NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio called for a lifetime ban of Sarver.