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Australia Eyes Hosting 2030 or 2034 World Cup

Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
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Australia Eyes Hosting 2030 or 2034 World Cup

Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA

Australian football chiefs are formulating plans to host either the men's 2030 or 2034 World Cup to build on the country's successful bid for the women's 2023 tournament, top officials said Thursday.

The move follows Australia's failed tilt for the 2022 event, which was funded with Aus$45 million (US$33 million) of taxpayer money but garnered just one vote, with Qatar controversially winning the race, reported Agence France-Presse.

But Football Australia chief executive James Johnson believes the time could be right to try again, on the back of the joint hosting with New Zealand of the 2023 women's World Cup and the country being awarded the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

"We'll host a great competition in 2023," he told The Australian newspaper.

"We're going to wrap a legacy around it for the game, but we've got to squeeze more juice out of this and it could be a stepping stone with a successful delivery of that toward more FIFA competitions.

"And there's a trend," he added. "Look at Canada, which hosted the women's World Cup in 2015 and 11 years later they're going to host the men's World Cup with the US (and Mexico). Look at Brazil -– they hosted the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016."

Johnson conceded the 2030 tournament was likely to go to Europe or South America, given the next one is in Qatar, which like Australia is part of the Asian Football Confederation, and the 2026 event is in North America.

But 2034 was more open.

Preliminary discussions between Football Australia and state-based major events officials have already taken place, according to former Sydney 2000 Olympics bid chief Rod McGeoch.

He now heads up Destination New South Wales and told the newspaper he was working on building support to move an official bid forward.

"I have started (working on a possible bid) for 2030... I feel we have got to start," he said.

"We are quietly working away and with the women's World Cup in 2023, that is a big opportunity for us (as) FIFA will have an office in (Sydney)."

The Australian team has qualified for the last four World Cups and is on track to make it five in a row in Qatar.

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Brazil Sets Up Olympic Final Against US in Women’s Soccer

Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Brazil Sets Up Olympic Final Against US in Women’s Soccer

Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Brazil will meet the United States in the final of the Olympic women’s soccer tournament after beating world champion Spain 4-2 on Tuesday.
Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Kerolin struck in a thrilling semifinal at Stade de Marseille after an own-goal from Irene Paredes had put the two-time silver medalist in front.
“It’s a dream, and dreams come true,” said Kerolin, whose goal in the first of more than 15 minutes of stoppage time helped to hold off a late Spain fightback. “I’m so excited, so excited, so excited and I’m really, really, really impressed by my teammates.”
Victory means Brazil great Marta has the chance to end her glittering international career by competing for gold after being suspended for the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The 38-year-old Marta has said her sixth Olympics will be her last major tournament with the national team.
“We just knew what we came to do today, and it was a final for us today,” said Angelina, who was leading the Brazil team. “So, we were just very determined and we just came for the win.”
According to The Associated Press, Angelina said the Brazil squad needed to “celebrate a little bit” but quickly focus on the final.
“It was a big win. Again, Spain is an amazing team and we knew that,” she said. “So now we need to rest and we need to study a lot, and see what we can do against the US.”
Spain won’t get the chance in Paris to further cement its place at the top of women’s soccer by adding Olympic gold to the World Cup it won last year.
But there’s plenty still to play for at the Paris Games.
“We keep fighting for something super nice and it will continue to be the Olympics until the end,” Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso said. “A bronze medal is also very difficult to get.”
Paredes’ sixth-minute own goal put Brazil in control and Portilho doubled the advantage in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Adriana’s header in the 71st underlined Brazil’s dominance. But with the win seemingly assured, there was far more drama to come.
Salma Paralluelo pulled a goal back for Spain with a header in the 85th and almost immediately Alexia Putellas struck the bar with a shot from outside the area.
Kerolin made it 4-1 — shooting through Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll’s legs.
Paralluelo got her second in the 12th minute of stoppage time, but by then it was too late for Spain to mount a comeback.
Brazil will play the four-time champion US women’s national team in Saturday’s final at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Spain plays Germany in Lyon for bronze.
Brazil has been twice beaten in an Olympic final by the US — at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
It secured a place in the final for the third time after making amends for a 2-0 loss to Spain in the group phase of the tournament.
That was a game that also saw Marta red-carded, and Brazil received confirmation just hours before kickoff in the semifinals that its appeal against her ban had been rejected.
In the end, Brazil didn’t need its greatest player on this occasion and took a big step toward the final early on after a calamitous mix up in Spain’s defense when Coll - under pressure from Priscila - attempted a clearance that came back off Paredes and into her own net.
Brazil dominated the chances - repeatedly getting through on goal - and made its superiority count just before halftime through Portilho, who slotted into the bottom corner from Yasmim’s cross.
Adriana made it 3-0 after seeing her initial effort hit the bar from six yards and then heading in from Portilho’s nod back across goal.
Spain, which had fought back from 2-0 down to beat Colombia in the quarterfinals, gave its fans hope through Paralluelo’s header. But when Kerolin put Brazil 4-1 ahead, a second for Paralluelo proved to be nothing more than a consolation.
“We showed the world that we have a young team and a team that has a very good tactical understanding, that competes, that will always be like this — competitive,” Brazil coach Arthur Elias said. “Brazil in women’s football is a source of great pride.”