KUALA LUMPUR: Will Malaysia be part of the equation if at all ASEAN countries decide to submit a joint bid to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup?
The talk of ASEAN bidding for the 2034 edition gained traction when officials held a virtual meeting on Wednesday to discuss the general requirements, timeline, and the role each member country will take for the month-long tournament.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Niwat Limsuknirun, chairperson of the Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Sports.
FA of Malaysia president Datuk Hamidin Amin said it is still at an early stage in terms of preparing a bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
"I do not want to comment as it is still premature. The meeting on Wednesday was among ASEAN officials," said Hamidin, also an elected Fifa council member, today.
"However, I feel many nations in this region have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the World Cup. The costs to build infrastructures to host a World Cup could be too high for most countries.
"The quality of play in the World Cup is also a factor. The gap between ASEAN countries and the best teams in the world is quite big."