THE ASEAN Football Federation on Monday pledged its support for an ASEAN initiative to launch a joint bid for hosting the World Cup in 2034, according to the AFF website.
The AFF is the governing body for the sport in the Southeast Asian region.
“The ASEAN Football Federation welcomes the announcement that the political leaders in the region have pledged their support for ASEAN launching a joint bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup,” said AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth.
“It has always been our stand that ASEAN, which is collectively the third largest economy in Asia and the seventh largest in the world, has the potential to host a successful FIFA World Cup. A FIFA World Cup hosted by ASEAN will generate economic and sporting benefits for this region, and will also strengthen bonding among the 640 million people,” said the AFF President.
On Sunday, ASEAN Chairman Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha had said that the 10 ASEAN member countries have agreed to launch a joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. The idea was proposed to regional leaders at the 34th ASEAN Summit in Thailand on Sunday.
“I wish to inform the ASEAN people that today the leaders have supported the shared wish of ASEAN to launch a joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034,” Gen Prayuth, who is also the Prime Minister of Thailand, had said.
The idea of co-hosting the World Cup was first mooted by Japan and South Korea, who went on to successfully stage the event in 2002. Asia will host the World Cup again in 2022 in Qatar. Last year, FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to another joint bid from Canada, US, and Mexico.
Major General Sameth said: “The AFF will engage our stakeholders and look into the possibility of making a bid for the hosting rights, while taking into account key factors, including pre-determined minimum requirements for hosting the competition, timelines, and other considerations.” — Kyaw Khin
