Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has confirmed that both Thailand and ASEAN are fully prepared to compete for the opportunity to co-host the World Cup in 2034.
This confirmation was communicated via the prime minister’s X account (formerly Twitter) following Mr. Srettha’s meeting with Fifa president Gianni Infantino in New York, where they explored possible collaborations between Southeast Asian nations and the world football governing entity.
This conversation occurred while Mr. Srettha was attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York.
Mr. Srettha was summoned by the Fifa president to the discussion, during which he affirmed Thailand and ASEAN’s preparedness to vie for the honour of co-hosting the World Cup in 2034.
Fifa selected Thailand to host the 74th Fifa Congress in November 2024, and Mr. Srettha mentioned on his X account that over 2,000 football administrators and players are anticipated to visit the nation for this event.
“I think that we can stimulate the economy and the commercial value is enormous. I will ensure Thailand is ready”, the prime minister penned.
Mr Srettha also mentioned his fondness for football and expressed his hopes that his interaction with the Fifa president would enhance the prospects for the progression of the sport in Thailand.
He expressed his gratitude to Fifa for endorsing the football education of Thai youths and for expanding the number of teams in the World Cup finals.
“Even more than that, this opportunity might influence more youth to play football in the future”, stated Mr Srettha.
In March 2021, the preceding government approved the establishment of a committee to assess a bid by ASEAN countries to host the 2034 World Cup.
As per the government, a specialized task force would develop suggestions on how each member of the regional coalition could contribute to hosting one of the world’s foremost sporting events.
The then cabinet had envisioned Thailand leading the preparation of the bid document for submission to Fifa in 2026.
Other ASEAN nations, specifically Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, were anticipated to undertake various supporting roles, alongside members of the ASEAN Football Federation.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports was expected to be the principal coordinator of the bid, aligning efforts with other relevant departments.
