Australia reach agreement with rival codes for World Cup bid

By Andrew Warshaw

May 10 – Australian World Cup officials left for FIFA headquarters today confident that they have solved a long-running dispute should the country win the right to stage the 2018 or 2022 event.

The rival codes of Australian rules football (AFL), rugby league and rugby union have been digging in their heels and squabbling over allowing their stadiums to be used for soccer but a compensation deal has now been struck over vacating venues and re-locating.

“This is great news for football and great news for the whole country as everyone will benefit if we win the right to host a World Cup,” said FFA chairman Frank Lowy.

The final touches to Australia’s bid have thus now been completed with the Bid Book ready to be submitted to FIFA on Friday (May 14).

The dossier, crucially, contains unqualified support of the other major sporting codes after the final agreements required by FIFA were signed over the weekend.

Ben Buckley, the chief executive of Football Federation Australia (FFA), said the departure of the bid documentation was a major milestone in the bidding process.

“We have a technically excellent bid that meets all of the criteria and we are sure it will make a compelling case on why Australia deserves to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734840635labto1734840635ofdlr1734840635owedi1734840635sni@w1734840635ahsra1734840635w.wer1734840635dna1734840635