Thailand’s esteemed Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, affirmed the country’s readiness to compete, along with other Southeast Asian nations, for the esteemed privilege of co-hosting the 2034 World Cup. The Prime Minister expressed this interest during his conversation with the ardent FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, in an exclusive meeting in New York. This significant dialogue happened while the Thai premier was attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78).
Mr. Thavisin’s invitation to the meeting by the FIFA president marked a positive step, confirming Thailand’s and Asean’s readiness to contend for the monumental opportunity to co-host the World Cup in 2034. He further announced on his X (previously Twitter) account that FIFA had selected Thailand to arrange the 74th FIFA Congress occurring in November 2024. This event promises to draw over 2,000 football organisers and players from across the globe to Thailand.
The prime minister expressed his optimism and excitement about the potential economic and commercial benefits such a prestigious event would bring to the nation. He pledged to ensure that Thailand is thoroughly prepared for the occasion, hinting at football as one of his personal favourite sports. The successful meeting with the FIFA president, according to Mr. Srettha, presents a noteworthy avenue to enhance and encourage football’s growth and development in Thailand.
The Prime Minister took the opportunity to extend his gratitude to FIFA for its supportive role in inspiring young Thais to learn about football, and for its part in expanding the participant teams’ numbers in the World Cup finals. He noted, “This opportunity has the potential to instigate even more youth football involvement in the future.”
Previously in March 2021, the former Thai government had authorized the creation of a special committee. The objective was to contemplate a bid by the Asean nations to host the 2034 World Cup – an effort to showcase the cohesiveness and strength of the regional bloc on the global stage.
As part of their plan, a technical working team would shape proposals detailing how each member of the regional bloc could contribute to orchestrating one of the world’s most-watched sports events. The then-incumbent cabinet had projected that Thailand would spearhead the preparation of this bid proposal for submission to FIFA by 2026.
The proposal outlined various responsibilities, spread among other ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. These countries would play supportive roles, in addition to members of the Asean Football Federation. Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, working closely in conjunction with other agencies, would assume the role of the bid’s chief coordinator.
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