Southeast Asia misses 'best shot' for 2034 World Cup bid

Indonesia gives surprise backing for Saudia Arabia's pitch to host soccer showcase

20231020 Soccer 2034 World Cup Asia

Indonesian soccer chief Erick Thohir, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Jakarta in October 2022. Indonesia has dropped plans for a bid to jointly host the 2034 World Cup. © AP

JOHN DUERDEN, Contributing writer

LONDON -- Southeast Asia has missed its best chance in years to launch a first-ever joint bid for the soccer World Cup, with another realistic shot now decades away.

This month, FIFA -- after announcing that the 2030 World Cup will take place in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal and Morocco -- invited nations from Asia and Oceania to register their interest to host the 48-team tournament in 2034. The deadline for bids is Oct. 31.

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