Australia and Indonesia in talks over joint-bid for World Cup 2034, Latest Football News - The New Paper
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Australia and Indonesia in talks over joint-bid for World Cup 2034

News of their discussions about a joint-bid comes just days after Thai Prime Minister mooted an Asean joint-bid for the same tournament

Australia has held talks with Indonesia about making a joint-bid for the 2034 World Cup, despite the South-east Asian nation's involvement in another bid with regional neighbours for the same tournament.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) told Reuters yesterday that it had met Indonesian football federation (PSSI) officials to discuss a 2034 bid at an Asean meeting last week.

"Football Federation Australia confirms it has held discussions with the Indonesia Football Association about the possibility to jointly bid for the 2034 Fifa World Cup," the FFA said in a statement to Reuters.

"An Indonesia-Australia joint-bid was also discussed at last week's Asean Football Federation council meeting in Laos."

The revelation comes only days after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told a news conference in Bangkok that 10 countries from the Asean bloc, including Indonesia, would bid for World Cup 2034.

It was unclear how advanced discussions were between Australia and Indonesia, with statements from both federations suggesting the talks were preliminary, at best.

DECLINED TO ELABORATE

The FFA said it noted the joint-South-east Asian bid was endorsed at the Asean summit and declined to elaborate whether talks with Indonesia were ongoing.

"FFA welcomes the opportunity to further discuss an Asean bid for the 2034 Fifa World Cup with fellow member associations in the region," the statement added.

Indonesian media, citing PSSI secretary-general Ratu Tisha, reported on Wednesday that the federation had decided to partner with Australia after Thailand had pulled out of the 2034 bid because it was "not ready".

A PSSI executive told Reuters the Indonesian federation would be willing to work with "anyone" on a 2034 bid.

"Of course, we welcome it (a joint-bid with Australia) and we will work hard to make it happen," Yoyok Sukawi, a member of the PSSI's executive committee, said.

"Indonesia is ready to work with anyone, it can be Asean, it can be with Australia."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that there is a strong possibility that a third South-east Asian country could join the prospective Indonesia-Australia bid.

The Australian daily added that in light of three nations in North America hosting the 2026 edition and four South American countries bidding for the 2030 World Cup, there is support for a mass bid from South-east Asia and Australia for 2034.

That could mean that Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia or potentially the Philippines could join hands with the Indonesia-Australia bid.

CANDIDATE FOR 2010

Australia was a candidate in the controversial bidding process for the 2022 World Cup awarded to Qatar, but managed to win only one vote from Fifa's executive council members in 2010.

The losing Australian bid, funded by over A$40 million (S$37.8 million) of government money, triggered strident criticism of the FFA and its methods by a Fifa-appointed ethics investigator, who found the federation had funnelled money into development projects with ties to Fifa's voting exco members.

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