Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore are in talks to submit a joint bid for hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034, according to the president of the Indonesian Football Association.
Erick Thohir, the president of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and minister for state-owned enterprises, said that he had discussed the possibility of a joint bid with Australia during his visits to Malaysia and Singapore. He said that both countries expressed interest to join Indonesia and Australia in hosting the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
“We are discussing (a bid) with Australia,” Thohir was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. “When I visited Malaysia and Singapore both countries expressed interest to join Indonesia and Australia.”
Thohir said that the four nations have a strong chance of winning the bid, as FIFA would likely prefer to give the opportunity to other countries that have not hosted the World Cup before. He also suggested that it could be premature for the World Cup to return to the Middle East after Qatar hosted the 2022 edition.
“We are quite strong,” he said. “I think FIFA will see that the Middle East area has been the host with Qatar last year. Japan and Korea have been host too. I am sure FIFA will try other countries.”
“The potential to win if we join with Australia, Malaysia and Singapore is bigger too.”
Saudi Arabia is the Current Favorite to Host the 2034 World Cup
Last week, FIFA announced that Spain, Morocco, and Portugal would host the 2030 World Cup, in a controversial arrangement in which Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina would stage the opening games. It then invited bids for the 2034 tournament, which has been reserved for nations from Asia and Oceania.
Within days of the 2030 announcement, Saudi Arabia formally submitted to FIFA its bid to host the 2034 World Cup, in the hopes of replicating the lavish tournament hosted by Qatar last year. Yasser Al Misehal, the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, said that his nation was “extremely committed to presenting the most competitive bid possible that will also help unite the world through football” and that “the entire Asian football family will stand united in support.”
Saudi Arabia is currently favored to host the soccer tournament in 2034, as it has been investing heavily in sports infrastructure and events in recent years. The kingdom has also been trying to improve its image and reputation on the global stage, amid criticism over its human rights record and involvement in regional conflicts.
A Joint Bid Would Benefit All Four Nations
Australia has been weighing up a possible challenge to Saudi Arabia’s bid, but according to the Herald report, has been reluctant after spending $46 million on its bid for the 2022 tournament, which it ultimately lost to Qatar. For this reason, a joint bid with three important Southeast Asian neighbors might encourage it to challenge the Saudi bid.
In some ways, a joint bid would make sense for all four nations. Australia would not have to bear the financial burden alone, and a co-hosting arrangement would lessen the challenge of fitting a World Cup around the country’s other sporting events, particularly the popular Australian Football League. It also might represent the best chance that any Southeast Asian nations have to host a World Cup.
While the possibility of a joint bid by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been raised periodically over the past decade, it is hard to see this getting off the ground given the poor infrastructure and political instability in some member states.
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have more developed facilities and experience in hosting major sporting events than some of their ASEAN counterparts. Indonesia hosted the Asian Games in 2018, Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1998, and Singapore hosted the Formula One Grand Prix since 2008.
A joint bid would also boost the regional cooperation and integration among the four nations, as well as the popularity and development of soccer in Southeast Asia. The region has a huge fan base for soccer, but its national teams have not performed well on the international stage. The highest-ranked team among ASEAN members is Vietnam at 92nd in FIFA’s latest ranking.
FIFA has given other interested parties until October 31 to declare their intentions after Saudi Arabia’s bid. The final decision on who will host the 2034 World Cup is expected to be made by FIFA
