Mahathir supports Asean bid to host World Cup 2034

Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad supports the initiative by Asean to host a joint FIFA World Cup in 2034 in the region.

Malaysia should not miss the opportunity for a first in Southeast Asia after the Asean countries mooted the idea yesterday at the 34th Asean Summit.

“We felt that alone (single nation bids), we will never have the chance to host the World Cup. Maybe (with) all of 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,” Dr Mahathir told the Malaysian media after concluding his four-day visit to the kingdom.

All 10 member countries agreed to launch a joint bid to host the event, Asean chairman Gen Prayuth Chan o-cha says.

The general said the leaders of the 10 nations supported the idea to host the finals here.

Last year, the Malaysian King Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al–Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah, who was a former FIFA executive committee member, said that Malaysia could be part of a joint bid from four Asean countries to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

According to a Bernama report, the King said that the football governing bodies from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have expressed their interest in a joint bid for the global sporting event.

In 2017, Indonesia announced it was ready to lead a consortium of Southeast Asian countries in an ambitious bid to host the 2034 World Cup. The deadline to register a bid for the event is 2026. -/TISG