Australia seeks football World Cup bid co-host

Football Australia indispensable find a suitable co-host if it wants to beryllium palmy successful immoderate effort to big a FIFA World Cup, main enforcement James Johnson has admitted.

Johnson confirmed the crippled has renewed its involvement successful hosting a men's World Cup, 11 years aft the country's bid for the 2022 tourney ended successful disappointment erstwhile it secured conscionable 1 ballot from FIFA's Council astatine a outgo to taxpayers of A$40 cardinal (NZ$42 million).

With the 2023 Women's World Cup heading to Australia and New Zealand and Brisbane awarded the 2032 Olympics, Australia could beryllium entering a play filled with mega sporting events, and determination is renewed assurance astir the integrity of FIFA's decision-making process aft a bid of reforms led by president Gianni Infantino.

Johnson stressed that FA had not yet decided to bid for a aboriginal World Cup – astir apt successful 2034 – and was a agelong mode from doing so, but said it was important immoderate specified talks began now.

However, Johnson said it would beryllium intolerable for Australia to spell it unsocial similar the bid squad led by then-chairman Frank Lowy did successful the failed pursuit of the rights to the 2022 World Cup, which were controversially awarded to Qatar.

The Socceroos volition look Japan successful their World Cup qualification path. (Getty)

"If you look astatine the mode Gianni is wanting to tally his contention strategies, helium wants cross-nation competitions. I don't spot immoderate aboriginal World Cups being tally by 1 country," said Johnson, a erstwhile FIFA enforcement who worked intimately with Infantino.

"It is thing that would request to beryllium done with different countries successful the region, some successful the Asia and astir apt Oceania region.

"What I tin accidental is we've got an accidental with the '23 Women's World Cup – I deliberation we volition present an outstanding tournament. If we tin present the champion ever Women's World Cup tournament, it does enactment you successful a bully presumption to instrumentality connected much FIFA competitions."

The 2 astir evident imaginable partners for an Australian World Cup bid are the country's 2 closest neighbours – New Zealand, who are co-hosts for the 2023 Women's World Cup, and Indonesia.

Prior to Johnson's assignment arsenic main executive, Football Australia held talks successful 2019 for a associated bid with Indonesia which would perchance impact different nations from south-east Asia.

"It's precise breathtaking for some of the countries to enactment together," Ratu Tisha, the caput wide of the Indonesian federation, told The Asian Game podcast astatine the time.

"As we know, Indonesia and Australia person a agelong relationship, we are member and sister successful each way. The ASEAN portion unneurotic with Australia, I deliberation it's truly a bully combination."

FIFA volition person a beingness successful Australia until the extremity of the Women's World Cup, having opened a section bureau to assistance readying and preparations – giving Australia unprecedented entree to elder FIFA administrators to whom they tin propulsion their lawsuit to big the top amusement connected earth.

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