By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 16 – A potentially damaging new development for the four countries from Asia bidding for the 2022 World Cup has emerged after China announced today that they want to host the 2026 tournament.
Wei Di, general secretary of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), said that now is the “best time” for the country to launch a bid.
But they can only stage the 2026 World Cup if the 2022 event is awarded to the United States and not Australia, Japan, Qatar or South Korea as under, FIFA’s rotation policy, the same continent cannot hold consecutive tournaments.
“It really moved us to see all the social benefits South Africa got from hosting the World Cup,” said Wei.
“The CFA is preparing to ask the General Administration of Sport to bid for the 2026 World Cup.
“Everyone has been debating whether China should bid for the World Cup or when to bid, but seeing how successfully South Africa hosted it, I have to say that China has no reason not to bid and now is the best time.”
The potential financial benefits to FIFA of China staging the World Cup are huge, proving attractive to blue chip companies looking to establish a foothold in the world’s most populous country.
China’s hosting of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 had given the nation more confidence, Wei claimed.
A World Cup bid would also help rehabilitate the sport in China which has been damaged by a damaging corruption.
In 2006 that a joint police and judicial task force was formed to investigate the allegations of match-fixing.
In February, former CFA chief Nan Yong and two of his closest allies were arrested for bribery and match-fixing.
A number of football officials, club managers and referees have also disappeared into police custody as authorities and the CFA try to clean up the sport.
China did not qualify for this year’s World Cup in South Africa.
Its only appearance in football’s global showcase came in 2002.
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