A week after revealing talks with Australia over a bid to co-host the 2034 World Cup, Indonesian football chief Erick Thohir said on Wednesday his federation now backs Saudi Arabia. Thohir’s change in plan was detailed in a statement on the Indonesian Football Federation’s website, hours before an online meeting of the Asian Football Confederation, whose 47 members include Australia, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged AFC members to “stand united for the 2034 World Cup”.
Infantino has long been a close ally of Saudi football and the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and FIFA’s surprise decision two weeks ago to fast-track bidding for the 2034 men’s tournament was seen as beneficial for them.
Only members of the AFC and the Football Organization of Oceania – New Zealand and Scattered Pacific Islands – can bid for the 2034 tournament, FIFA said this month, after accepting a single bid for 2030, with Europe , Africa and South America from six countries work together. .
FIFA gave federations in Asia and Oceania an October 31 deadline to express interest and another month to submit a detailed bidding agreement with government support.
Saudi Arabia confirmed its intention almost immediately after FIFA opened the competition on October 4. Within minutes, the president of the AFC, Bahraini member of the royal family Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, said the Saudis had full support.
Speculation about a plan between Australia and Indonesia, possibly involving Malaysia and Singapore, suggested there was not the Asian unity that Sheikh Salman had suggested.
Indonesia’s announcement on Wednesday isolated Australia as it attempts to follow up on its successful co-hosting of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with New Zealand in 2034.
“There is already enough division around the world. We have opportunities to send messages of unity,” Infantino said in a video message from Zurich to AFC members on Wednesday.
Infantino reminded them of his message at a meeting of football officials this month in Tashkent, Uzbekistan: “To be united in Asia, to be united for the 2034 World Cup.” FIFA wants to confirm the host nation of the 2030 and 2034 World Cup at the end of next year during separate meetings of the 211-member federations.
The European-led bid from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay and the 1930 inaugural host Uruguay is the consensus choice for 2030. The South Americans will get just one match each from the 104-match list, but that takes their position away. football body from the 2034 photo, as FIFA wants to rotate hosting between continents.
The North and Central American football organization CONCACAF will have its turn in 2026 when the United States, Canada and Mexico host the first edition with 48 teams and 104 matches.
Thohir, an Indonesian minister with close ties to Infantino, said on Wednesday that Indonesia wants to host when Asia’s turn comes after 2034. That could be in 2046.
Indonesia will host FIFA’s Under-17 World Cup next month after being dropped from the Under-20 draft in March after the Muslim-majority country refused to host the games against Israel, which had qualified.
The Australian Football Federation has also expressed interest in hosting the 32-team Club World Cup for FIFA in 2029.
Saudi Arabia will host FIFA’s last annual seven-team Club World Cup in December. The club tournament will relaunch in June 2025 as a quadrennial tournament with 32 teams in the United States.
(This story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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