Soccer, or football as the majority of the world refers to it, has the largest following in all of sports with five billion fans across the globe according to FIFA. The international competition is also fierce, with intensely loyal fandoms and the incredibly popular World Cup tournament which is held every four years, most recently kicking off in November 2022. With football at the forefront of many sports, and general news broadcasts, Vijay Eswaran picked up the conversation in a recent article where he posited that ASEAN could be among those regions next in line to host the World Cup event.
ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a union containing 11 member states and that is designed to bring them together to achieve joint political and economical goals. A major revenue generator the world over, the World Cup could be a boon to the ASEAN nations if they are able to attract the attention of the world stage. FIFA earned a record $7.5 billion in revenue from the 2022 games, held in Qatar. In addition, the event is expected to host more than a million tourists and avid sports fans, bringing additional $17 billion into Qatar’s local economy.
Eswaran’s idea is not a new one, but it is one that has circulated among ASEAN leaders for nearly a decade. He noted that ASEAN leaders first presented the idea of the region hosting the World Cup back in 2011. Subsequent leaders, including as recently as June 2022, have echoed this sentiment and encouraged their colleagues to support ASEAN’s bid for the games. Eswaran shared that, “As the most popular sport in ASEAN, football, hosting the World Cup would have a tremendously positive effect on the country’s economy and sporting events.” He went on to explain that some countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, already have a history of hosting football events on a grand scale, including the ASEAN Football Federation’s tournaments as well as the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The ability to host an event on the scale of the World Cup calls for a country that has the modern infrastructure to manage the logistics of people, places, and play. Eswaran suggested that “As one of the ASEAN nations with a history in the region, Malaysia is one of those that could host the world cup if it materializes.” The country has a rich history of football as well as the foundation of authorities with credentials to orchestrate and oversee competitions on a larger scale. What’s more, the country is working toward completion of a new Shah Alam Stadium, which is slated for opening in 2026. “This calls for modernised infrastructure, cutting-edge amenities, and increased security, which is yet another reason why Malaysia should be the ASEAN country to host the World Cup,” Eswaran further explained.
Hosting the World Cup in 2034, the next time an Asian nation or region is eligible, would require the ASEAN nations to work together to create an environment even more appealing and inviting to tourists of all kinds. Using Malaysia as a hub for the sport, visitors could then travel locally throughout the region and witness the rich offerings from beaches to temples. For this to happen, “the ASEAN community’s principles of economic, cultural, educational, and sporting cooperation will need nations to put aside their differences and work together,” explained Eswaran. While this is a challenge, Vijay Eswaran advocates that it is not impossible. While the nations of ASEAN share many interests, goals, and economies, there is also much that can stand to be melded further, including political systems and climates.
The upfront cost of hosting the World Cup would also have to be determined and addressed. Eswaran shared that Qatar spent over $200 billion on World Cup infrastructure and preparations. The nations of ASEAN would need to pool together their resources, funds, and investments, which Eswaran believes can be raised through a united ASEAN front with little in the way of taxpayer burden. He put it best in summation, “Hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup in ASEAN is feasible. It can greatly benefit the region and its people, but many questions need to be answered, and significant work needs to be done, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.”
