Southeast Asian Nations May Bid To Co-Host 2034 World Cup

Malaysian FIFA Council member Tengku Abdullah suggested that southeast Asian countries "could combine to host the 2034 World Cup," according to John Duerden of ESPN.com. Abdullah said that four countries from the region, which is home to around 700 million people, "would have a strong case" when the decision is made in '26. He said, "It is similar to the United States, Canada and Mexico being joint hosts in 2026." Abdullah added that there was interest from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. He said that he did not expect that it would "be difficult to ensure government support because the issue had been discussed in the past" (EPSN.com, 6/17).

KINGS' DECISION: The BBC reported King Mohammed VI of Morocco "wants the nation to make a sixth bid to host the World Cup." The announcement comes after the nation lost the vote to host the tournament in '26. Confirmation came from 2026 bid committee member Moncef Belkhayat (BBC, 6/15).