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Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and FFA Chairman Frank Lowy center left, at Parliament House in Canberra. AP Photo/Rob Griffith
New state of the art arenas to be built in Perth, Canberra and Blacktown in Western Sydney is part of Australia’s bid for either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Australian bid team made their proposal to soccer’s head body in Zurich on Friday, with a legacy of $2.8 billion worth of infrastructure promised, which all sporting codes would benefit from as a result.
Ten host cities have been selected as part of the bid under Australia’s nationwide hosting proposal that will see World Cup matches played in six states and territories.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Geelong and Townsville have been chosen to host matches should Australia be successful, with Sydney’s ANZ Stadium and Melbourne’s MCG in the running to host the Final, one of the most watched events on the planet.
A leather-bound, 750-page bid book that contains Australia’s hosting concept and all of the technical aspects of the bid was submitted at FIFAs headquarters.
Football Federation of Australia chairman Frank Lowy, said the completion of the bid documentation was an exciting milestone in Australia’s history.
“We’re proud to be presenting to FIFA bid documents that highlight a technically brilliant bid supported by unified government funding and commitment at all levels,” Lowy said.
“This nationwide hosting proposal means millions of sports fans across the country will be able to enjoy the biggest and most exciting sporting event in the world in wonderful new or upgraded stadiums in their own cities.
“The infrastructure investment will leave a legacy to all sporting codes in the nation before and after the FIFA World Cup for generations to come.”
The new stadiums include a 60,000-seat stadium on the Subiaco precinct in Perth, a 40,000-seat stadium near the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and a 41,000-seat stadium in Blacktown in Sydney’s south west.
The stadiums to be upgraded and have their capacity either permanently or temporarily increased include ANZ Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium, MCG, Skilled Stadium in Geelong, Dairy Farmers Stadium in Geelong, Adelaide Oval, Gold Coast, EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle and Suncorp Stadium.
FFA CEO Ben Buckley said the bid shows Australia can deliver the best experience for teams and fans in Australia and the region.
“This is our opportunity to showcase our unique and beautiful country to the world,” Buckley said.
“Our Bid is a tailor-made, compelling concept that shows Australia is ready to fulfill the dream of holding the FIFA World Cup on every continent on the globe.”
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