Is the time finally right for Australia to host the FIFA World Cup?

Avatar

In a story that caught the eyes of the Australian football community last week, sport and government officials are said to be planning a bid to host the 2030 or 2034 FIFA World Cup down under.

The idea to host the world’s biggest sporting event in Australia is a key part of a strategy that looks to bring a selection of major events to the country, on the back of Brisbane securing the 2032 Olympic Games.

FA CEO James Johnson explained that the governing body has not yet decided to bid for the World Cup, but suggested it is a part of the vision they have for the game.

“It’s an aspiration (hosting the World Cup), that’s part of our vision,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The next time I think we could realistically host it is 2034 because 2026 is in North America, 2022 is in Asia, 2030 – I think – will go to Europe or South America. There’s an opportunity to bring the World Cup back to Asia, the Asia-Pacific area, in 2034.”

A factor which should strengthen Australia’s case to be the home of a future World Cup is the hosting of the upcoming Women’s World Cup in 2023.

In a pattern which Australia is hoping to follow, Canada hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and used it as a stepping stone to eventually win the right to host part of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Mexico and USA.

Australia, alongside co-hosts New Zealand, are set to sell a record number of tickets for the 2023 tournament.

FIFA have opened an office in Australia to assist with the dealings in the build-up to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which gives FA access and the opportunity to open dialogue with FIFA administrators and pursue their future ambitions.

The FA CEO knows however, it is imperative that Australia delivers a world class tournament to stand any chance of winning the right to host a future World Cup.

“What I can say is we’ve got an opportunity with the 2023 Women’s World Cup – I think we will deliver an outstanding tournament. If we can deliver the best ever Women’s World Cup tournament, it does put you in a good position to take on more FIFA competitions,” Johnson said.

Australia was awarded the 2023 Women’s World Cup under a new FIFA voting process, which is also set to give the country more of a chance to win a further vote this time around in 2030 or more likely 2034.

Under Australia’s previous World Cup bid in 2010, they secured a singular vote from FIFA’s council.

However, the new voting method gives all 211 national member associations a chance to vote, rather than the previous secretive process which was conducted by FIFA council members.

Australia may have further success with this system due to the transparent nature of it and minimization of influence from FIFA’s top dogs.

One of those head honchos is Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who has steered the ship in the organisation after replacing Sepp Blatter in 2016.

Johnson believes Infantino’s approach to competitions would mean Australia is going to have to find a partnering country for any future bid for a World Cup.

“If you look at the way Gianni is wanting to run his competition strategies, he wants cross-nation competitions. I don’t see any future World Cups being run by one country,” said Johnson.

“It is something that would need to be done with other countries in the region, both in the Asia and probably Oceania region.”

FA have previously held discussions with Indonesia about hosting a World Cup and they, alongside New Zealand, are the most likely candidates to partner with Australia if they bid.

Sharing the bid with another country like Indonesia will have its benefits, such as improving relations between both countries and also halving the costs of an expensive exercise.

There will be difficulties that need to be worked out, but this may be Australia’s best chance to host a World Cup in the foreseeable future.

Previous ArticleNext Article

A-League Transfer Revenue Soars as Youth Development Takes Centre Stage

Avatar
Image credit: Imago

The A-League reported last week that Australia’s international transfer revenue has increased by a staggering 1344% over the past three years.

With 2023/24 recording transfer revenue of $16.5 million and 2024/25 reaching $16.9 million, these figures represent a significant improvement compared to the 2022 season, which recorded just $4.17 million in revenue.

This growth coincides with recent data from the A-League showing that the 2024/25 season has seen 39% of A-League minutes played by under-23 players, compared to just 18% in the 2023/24 season and 13% in the 2022/23 season.

This indicates that this season alone has seen a 26% increase in overall minutes played by young players since 2022.

The result of this rise in youth talent is evident with Australia qualifying for the Under-20 Men’s World Cup for the first time in more than a decade and, just last week, lifting the trophy at the Under-20 Asian Cup.

The A-League’s recent success in youth playing time is directly intertwined with the rise in transfer revenue.

This increase in youth participation has emerged as a silver lining from tough times in the league.

In the most recent “Off the Pitch” podcast from Soccerscene, guest speaker Gary Cole, current president of Football Coaches Australia, provided his professional insight into one of these situations.

He explained that the COVID-19 crisis and the financial constraints placed on A-League clubs forced them to look inwards for talent.

Another recent catalyst has been the reduction in funding from the Australian Professional Leagues.

With funding decreasing from $2 million to $500,000 in 2024, clubs have faced difficult financial decisions regarding their budgets.

Players from club academies or even NPL clubs are far more cost-effective for club budgets than more expensive signings.

Additionally, their selling and transfer value provides a huge boost to club revenues.

These events are not coincidental but are catalysts for the rise in homegrown talent testing their skills and showcasing their quality on the big stage.

It demonstrates how, during tough times for the league, supporting youth development has become a key part of the league’s success and represents a profitable and dynamic opportunity for the future.

This opportunity to produce and showcase players to increase Australian youth football standards and therefore transfer value is a proven strategy in football.

Ajax’s Academy is renowned for developing class players and has for many years been a funnel for building their academy graduates and selling players for a profit.

In South America, Brazilian and Argentinian clubs such as River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fluminense and Flamengo have been persistent sources of footballing talent.

Selling stars like Vinicius and Julian Alvarez to Europe for significant financial benefits while still maintaining a healthy domestic talent structure and international success.

Importantly, the common factor in these successful systems is regular first-team minutes at their clubs and even on the international stage.

The evidence from A-League transfer revenues is fitting this pattern.

One must point out that, though this is a great revenue source and a way to place Australian football on the map, this focus can have an adverse effect on the domestic scene.

Football fans are passionate about their clubs, and nothing brings out more pride than watching one of their own prospects grow and play for them.

To use academy players primarily as revenue-building prospects can undermine the important place they have at the club and the overall goal of academies.

This could potentially alienate fan bases, impacting popularity and therefore the quality and financial interests of the league.

Transfer revenue should not be the central response to the league’s current financial burdens.

Being realistic about the position of the A-League in the international football hierarchy is crucial, though ambitions for the league to climb cannot be sidelined.

The rise in player transfer revenue presents an enticing prospect for investment and brings increased popularity.

Players themselves also have their own dreams and aspirations that must be taken into account, which can also encourage transfers and revenue.

Currently, the A-League has the unique opportunity to give its promising young players the chance to play top-level football while producing significant revenue and attracting sponsorship.

Australians playing overseas and at home, puts Australia on the map and solidifies our rise in the footballing scene.

If the focus on homegrown talent is managed well, Australian football will reap huge rewards.

Melbourne should have been apart of Women’s Asia Cup 2026

Avatar
Image credit: Shutterstock.com / Dans Destinations

On Wednesday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will ratify Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast as hosts of the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Games will be played across Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium, the Perth Rectangular Arena, Perth Stadium, and the Gold Coast Stadium.

While the Women’s Asian Cup is a momentous occasion for Australian football, the exclusion of Melbourne stands as a missed opportunity.

Known as the sporting capital of the nation, Melbourne holds an incredibly passionate soccer fanbase and has continually delivered excellence on the pitch.

Zealous and Loyal Fanbase 

Most recently, Melbourne hosted six Women’s World Cup games at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, otherwise known as AAMI Park, in 2023 for hungry audiences. Of the six games, five reached over 90% capacity according to AuStadiums, illustrating the desire Melbournians and Victorians have for more football.

Furthermore, Victorians have consistently shown up to support their teams across both the men’s and women’s A-Leagues. According to AuStadiums, in last year’s ALW season, AAMI Park was on average the most attended stadium of the grounds which had hosted 10 or more games, averaging 3,500 people per game. This accomplishment built off of the 22/23 season where AAMI Park had also averaged the largest crowds for stadiums for which had hosted multiple games.

In the men’s competition, AAMI Park has been by far the most played at stadium, with more than 30 games played at the stadium each season since the 21/22 season. Through this, AAMI Park has consistently achieved the highest total attendance of any A-League stadium and has additionally maintained strong crowd averages.

AAMI Park was the third most attended ground on average last year for stadiums which had hosted multiple games. Additionally, AAMI Park also appeared the most in the top 10 attended games of the year, hosting four of the largest crowds of the 23/24 season.

To deny such a passionate fanbase the opportunity to see their national team, and other elite Asian teams, locally, would be a travesty. Compounding it, the decision to neglect one of Australia’s most beloved, professional and modern stadiums on a global stage is another disappointment.

World Class Facilities

In the latest Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) 2023-24 A-League Men Report insights from players, executive teams and coaches, AAMI Park was one of the highest scoring stadiums across Australia and New Zealand.

In terms of pitch quality, measured by the pace, smoothness, hardness and overall quality of the surface, AAMI Park scored above average. Depending on the hosting team, the stadium was rated between 3.5 stars to 4 stars placing it above the 3.2 average across the league.

Additionally, AAMI Park recorded the best atmosphere leaguewide when Melbourne Victory played, achieving a 4.4-star rating. Nearly half a star higher than the second-best atmospheric stadium.

These sentiments were similarly echoed in the most recent PFA A-League Women Report from the 2023-24 season. The report illustrated AAMI Park as one of the premier stadiums in the country, with the ground achieving a 4-star and near perfect 4.9-star rating, across its two hosts.

Australia’s Most Liveable City 

In combination with providing a world class stadium for some of the world’s best teams, hosting games at AAMI Park in Melbourne at the Women’s Asia Cup would have propelled Australia’s image on the global stage by highlighting one of the world’s most liveable cities. Ranked fourth in the world for most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2024, Melbourne continues to showcase the very best of Australia.

Travelling fans would get to enjoy the cultural events and sights Melbourne has to offer, while also finding their way to and from games easily due to Melbourne’s simple public transport system.

Furthermore, Melbourne would not only highlight the best of Australia to travellers, but to an ever-increasing global audience. With the rise of interest in women’s football, the amount of people watching and interacting with games has increased exponentially.

According to FIFA, over two billion people engaged with the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Furthermore, the tournament produced over 2.72 billion viewer hours, a 9.2% increase in consumption from the 2019 Women’s World Cup. With so many eyes now on women’s football, it makes sense to put forth Australia’s best.

Conclusion 

Fortunately, as Australia’s most loved team, the Matildas will draw crowds wherever they play, having now sold out 16 home games in a row.

Yet the neglect of Melbourne from the Women’s Asia Cup will prevent one of the country’s most fervent fanbases, which has repeatedly supported the national team and the A-Leagues, from witnessing one of Australia’s most important sporting events.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend