Indonesia wants to co-host the 2034 World Cup along with Malaysia and Singapore, the president of the country’s football federation said on Wednesday. Erick Thohir, a billionaire businessman who is also a political figure, said officials from his Federation of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) have been talking with their Australian counterparts about trying to stage the sport’s flagship tournament on home soil for the first time.
The move comes days after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Indonesia, were planning to bid for the event jointly. Following an ASEAN summit, that proposal was floated at a news conference in Bangkok. It would be the second time Asia has hosted a World Cup, with Japan and South Korea having jointly staged the 2002 edition.
FFA (Football Federation Australia) confirmed on Thursday that it had discussions with PSSI about “the possibility of a joint bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.” The ASEAN football body is due to meet later this month, but a final decision on whether to make a joint bid has yet to be decided upon.
A four-way bid for the event would see a cooperation agreement signed between Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore football federations. If successful, the bid could be submitted by Oct 31, the deadline for member associations to signal their intentions.
Thohir, the former owner of Italian three-time European champions Inter Milan and US Major League Soccer team DC United, said he had raised the issue with President Joko Widodo. He said the president responded positively and that a four-nation bid was realistic.
FIFA’s governing council invited member associations from Asia and Oceania to bid for the rights to the 2034 edition last week. Saudi Arabia immediately vowed to stage the event, while Qatar has already expressed an interest in a return to the World Cup after hosting the previous edition in 2022.
An official of Indonesia’s sports ministry told The Straits Times on Wednesday that the government will provide whatever assistance is necessary for a successful bidding process. It added that the PSSI is ready to lead a consortium of Southeast Asian countries bidding for the event and will discuss the proposal at the AFF meeting in September.
The PSSI will have to show proof that it has a good track record of stadium construction and the ability to handle large crowds, among other criteria for the bid. It must also guarantee that the tournament will be free from security issues. The last World Cup in Asia was in Qatar in 2022, criticized by activists for its treatment of female participants. The next edition will take place in France from June 14 to July 14. The PSSI has yet to announce the details of a bid for the 2034 tournament.
