ASEAN - Association of South-East Asian Nations

03/22/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/22/2023 22:56

Sports officials, football associations discuss ASEAN’s bid for FIFA World Cup 2034

BANGKOK, 22 March 2023 - Sports officials from ASEAN Member States, representatives from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and other football associations in the region gathered virtually in the First Technical Working Group Meeting for the Preparation of ASEAN's Joint Bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034 (1st TWG-FWC Meeting).

The meeting was chaired by Dr Niwat Limsuknirun, Director General of Physical Education of Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand and Chairperson of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports. Under Thailand's leadership, members of the TWG-FWC discussed the process of submission of the joint bid in 2026 including the general requirements, timeline, and the role each member state will take for the FIFA World Cup 2034.

ASEAN's bid for possible hosting of the FIFA World Cup was first mooted by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting Retreat and Special Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council in January 2011 in Lombok, Indonesia.

In the 34th ASEAN Summit on 23 June 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, ASEAN Leaders welcomed the shared wish of ASEAN to develop a joint bid to host a FIFA World Cup and supported the efforts of national football associations of ASEAN Member States and the AFF to realise this goal. In response to the leaders' statement, the AFF expressed its support for the initiative to launch a joint bid to host the World Cup in 2034 on 24 June 2019.

This meeting contributes to the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021-2025, particularly to Priority Area 4: Promoting ASEAN Awareness through Sports Activities, Sports Tourism and Sports Industry.

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