TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad kicked off a big buzz five months ago when the Prime Minister said Southeast Asia could bid to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup.
While there were many other important issues covered during the 34th Asean Summit in Bangkok, when the World Cup bid was announced, this one made the headlines because of the sheer magnitude of what it entails.
The idea for Asean countries to host what to many fans is the biggest show on Earth, is not a new one.
A joint-World Cup bid has been talked about in the past but this was the first time a serious united show of support was given by the heads of governments in the region.
‘We felt that alone, we will never have the chance to host the World Cup. Maybe all Asean together, we will be able to hold the World Cup.
‘Of course, games can be played in all Asean countries, like when Japan and South Korea played host in 2002,’ said Dr Mahathir then.
After Russia staged the World Cup last year, Qatar is the next host country for the 2022 World Cup with the trio of the United States, Mexico and Canada jointly organising the 2026 World Cup.
The following one in 2030 is up for grabs and bidding is expected to commence as early as next year or latest by 2021. Yes, a full nine years before the tournament that Asean is eyeing, is held.
So, if Malaysia and its neighbours are determined to go through with the plans to host the 2034 edition, a submission of interest would have to go through sometime in 2025.
The process of bidding and the requirements to be a host are comprehensive to say the least. A bid to Fifa is generally broken down in two parts: Infrastructure (70 per cent) and Commercial (30 per cent).
Infrastructure wise, a host country will need to have plans for stadia, facilities for teams and referees, accommodation, transport and mobility, information technology and communication as well as broadcasting facilities.
In the commercial part, a host country must demonstrate the estimated cost of the competition plus the revenues that will be generated from ticket sales, hospitality packages as well as sale of media and marketing rights.
In terms of the stadia, the minimum requirement from Fifa to host a World Cup match is a 40,000-seater stadium with a minimum of 60,000 for semi-final matches and a minimum of 80,000 for a final match.
In terms of this required infrastructure, Malaysia are more than ready with six stadiums meeting those criteria, albeit with upgrades and refurbishments necessary to meet standards.
The six stadiums are Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Shah Alam Stadium, Sarawak Stadium, Darulmakmur Stadium and Sultan Mizan Stadium.
That said, the other factors like accessibility to hotels and transportation will need to be considered when identifying which stadium to utilise.
On top of that, Fifa require the full support of federal, state and municipal governments on the tournament with guarantees on security, visa, tax exemptions, work permit and anti discrimination among those contributing factors.
It is a monumental effort that requires a big monetary investment. Without the support of national governments, no country will be able to host the World Cup. It’s a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed for FA of Malaysia’s general-secretary Stuart Ramalingam.
‘In regard to the World Cup bid, it’s a long process that requires the involvement of many stakeholders and hopefully the whole of Asean can get together to join the bid and work with their governments when necessary,’said Stuart.
However, while the 2034 edition has been touted as the one where Asean should attempt to bid, it would be a waste of time for everyone involved not to first find out which one China is aiming for.
The Asian giant has openly expressed its interest to host a World Cup and given its commercial might, Asean will not fare well in a direct competition with China, not to mention that would split votes within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) camp.
Australia is reported to be keen in making a joint-bid for the 2034 World Cup with New Zealand while Egypt has also shown an early interest.
What Asean needs to decide first and foremost is the number of countries that will be part of the joint-bid.
As the 2026 World Cup will see the most number of countries being joint-hosts (United States, Canada and Mexico), their slots in the competition will be taken out from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football allocation of six slots.
Asia currently holds four slots and that will be increased to eight when the 48-team World Cup is introduced in the 2026 edition.
At an Asean ministerial meeting on sports in Manila last month, it was decided that five countries, Thailand, Malayisa, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam will actually be part of the bid.
Fifa are not expected to agree to five slots for five hosts in a World Cup. However, four slots for four hosts are still possible in an expanded World Cup.
Malaysia, due to its ideal geographical location in Asean and its good infrastructure, should be one of the four hosts.
Should Malaysia be part of a joint-bid with three other countries, that could mean half the Asian slots will be taken away, and that might not sit down well with the rest of the FAs in the continent.
If Malaysia are serious in its World Cup bid, the work has to start now and not later if they want to win over the majority of the 211 members at Fifa.