Meeting to discuss the idea of ​​co-hosting the 2034 World Cup: Feasibility needs to be carefully considered

Director General of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training Dang Ha Viet recently had a working session with the Vietnam Football Federation on the project of Southeast Asia co-hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

My Dinh Stadium regularly hosts important international matches. Photo: LS

Responding to the statement of ASEAN leaders at the 34th ASEAN Summit, the Asian Football Confederation (AFF) expressed its support for the initiative to jointly campaign for the hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, Vietnam is also one of the member countries considering a plan to realize this goal. When analyzing the professional factors, infrastructure conditions and the advantages that this event will bring if Vietnam hosts the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) shared: From many perspectives, with careful calculations, the delegates attending the meeting all agreed that at present and in the coming years, it will be difficult for Vietnam to achieve this goal. Because according to the regulations on commercial rights, human rights as well as financial capacity and many other factors according to FIFA standards when hosting a world-class sporting event, Vietnam has not met them. Accordingly, management levels need to carefully consider and consider when deciding whether or not to participate in the project to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Southeast Asia. In addition, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan emphasized: In the history of the FIFA World Cup, Asia has only successfully hosted this tournament once in 2002. At that time, Korea and Japan, two Northeast Asian countries, were co-hosts. In the future, the US, Mexico and Canada will co-host the 2026 World Cup. If approved by FIFA, after 32 years (2002 - 2034), the biggest festival of world football can return to Asia for the second time (calculated according to the rotation cycle that FIFA has applied up to now). Currently, competitors with the same idea of ​​ASEAN co-hosting the 2034 World Cup include: China, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the group of two countries Australia and New Zealand. Director General Dang Ha Viet shared: The World Cup is a major sporting event of a macro nature, if this event takes place in Vietnam, this will be a major turning point for the country's sports industry. To implement this project, many necessary documents are needed such as: Official approval letters from the authorities of the cities where the matches take place, stadiums and training venues, as well as some legal issues, ticket sales and accommodation must all meet FIFA standards. Therefore, based on practical conditions and in the coming years when the economy, politics and society in Vietnam still face many challenges, participating in the project to co-host the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Southeast Asia needs to receive approval and very careful calculations on the feasibility of the project from Party and State leaders, managers and experts in the field of Sports.

Minh Tue/Tin Tuc Newspaper