11-10-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesia has expressed its interest in co-hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup with Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The president of the Football Association of Malaysia, Hamidin Amin, however, denies having any discussions regarding hosting the prestigious tournament. The bidding process for the 2034 edition was opened by FIFA, inviting member associations from Asia and Oceania to submit their proposals. The deadline for interested parties to declare their intentions is set for October 31.
Football Australia has previously stated that it is exploring the possibility of bidding for either the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup or the FIFA World Cup 2034. The president of the Indonesian football federation, Erick Thohir, confirmed talks with Australia, stating that during his visits to Malaysia and Singapore, both countries expressed their interest in joining Indonesia and Australia in the bid.
On the contrary, Hamidin Amin denies any conversations about hosting the World Cup, emphasizing that Malaysia has no intention of bidding to host the tournament in the near future. Saudi Arabia has also announced its bid for hosting rights, receiving support from the majority of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nations.
The decision to award the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup has already been made, with Spain, Morocco, and Portugal selected as the hosts, and Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay designated to stage the opening games. FIFA has allocated automatic qualification slots to the host countries and the countries hosting the centenary celebration.
Considering that Qatar hosted the 2022 edition, some argue that it might be too soon for the World Cup to return to the Middle East. Akmal Marhali, a representative from the Indonesian watchdog Save Our Soccer, believes that the joint bid with Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore presents a stronger chance of winning and diversifying the host countries.
The 2026 World Cup, which will feature an expanded format with 48 teams, has already been awarded to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Football Association of Singapore has not yet provided any comment regarding the joint bid proposal.
