Australia's bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup

[midfielder]

you might wake up in tuggerah, which wouldn't be too flash...

I dunno... you could walk to maccas for a coffee and big breakfast then over to the centre of excellence and watch training. By the end of training club mariners would be opening for the day and you could start retoxication

Lazy stroll to or catch the tram to the Wyrong  river then journey in a river cat out onto Tuggerah lakes .. stopping for refreshments at Toukley & the Entrance before the river cat / ocean going ferry (read fast and reliable) takes you to Homebush direct to watch the Mariners beat the WS team in front of 83, 000 fans Return journey the reverse with loads of refreshments plus coffee at Maccas to finish off the day.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Mr. Burns: You know, Smithers, I think I'll donate a million dollars to the local orphanage...when pigs fly

Smithers: Will you be donating that million dollars now, Sir?

Burns: Nooo, I'd still prefer not.

 

[midfielder]

John Coates on Frank Lowy ... it shows how much a football person Obie Wan is

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25663378-5014539,00.html

John Coates believes Frank Lowy is the only man to give Australia World Cup

    By Andrew Webster
    June 20, 2009

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates believes Frank Lowy is the only man in Australia that can bring the World Cup down under.
Coates revealed that when Frank Lowy was anointed as Football Federation Australia chairman in 2003 he immediately rang him to arrange a meeting with FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Not long afterwards, the trio were breaking bread over lunch at football headquarters in Switzerland, overlooking Lake Geneva.

"And they hit it off straight away," Coates recalled. "Frank's very relaxed in the company of these people, particularly someone like Blatter. He's a very engaging person ... it's why there is absolutely no other person in this country who can deliver this to Australia."

While the notion of bringing the holy grail to these shores in either 2018 or 2022 has only been rattling around Lowy's brain for two years, it's fair to suggest he started to grease the wheels when he met the most powerful man in world football.

Lowy has plenty of greasing to do in the next 18 months as he attempts to charm the well-tailored pants off at least 13 of the 24-member executive that will decide if he is successful.

"Of course, there are alliances," Lowy said. "There are always alliances between people who have been together for a long time. I'm a relative newcomer to the FIFA world. But I've made some good friends. Football is in their blood -- unfortunately there's a little too much politics. Like everything."

Lowy - who went from a delicatessen owner in Blacktown to the head of a global shopping centre empire - is also chiefly responsible for turning football in Australia on its head:

Two World Cup qualifications, a growing domestic league and move into the Asian conference.
"If a Jewish man can convince the Arabs to let us into Asia, he can get us a World Cup," one football observer said.

Lowy believes he can deliver an event that would rival the Sydney Olympics as one of Australias greatest sporting triumphs.

"I believe we can get it," he said. "Otherwise, it's a tremendous workload for me and everybody else. If I had thought today, after the launch, it was unachievable, I would say so and move on."

Australia has many hurdles to negotiate in the journey it's about to embark on, starting with the stadiums required - 12 of which need to hold more than 40,000 people. We're about five short right now, with major upgrades required.

Then there's the world game's power base. After South Africa hosts the tournament next year, it moves to Brazil in 2014. Europe has never missed out on three World Cups in a row.

So it is little wonder, now the dust has settled on last Sunday's bid launch that many observers are fingering Lowy's ability to press the flesh as essential.

"I suppose it's one of my talents, or something like that," he smiles. "I have lived that way, to get people around me. And I around them. It's reciprocal. It's not just simply wooing and being nice to them. You get to know them and they get to know you."

And Lowy has already started. Pointedly, he and Blatter have a relationship that strengthens with every meeting. When the FIFA Congress was held in Australia last year, he took the FIFA boss to a Socceroos qualifier against Iraq at Suncorp Stadium.

"He was amazed," he recalls. "About 45,000 people screaming and chanting. It opened his eyes -- and he's a visionary."

During the 2004 Olympics, Lowy famously docked his iconic 74-metre, $110million yacht Ilona in an Athens marina and welcomed members of the FIFA executive on board. "You could see him building relationships there and then," Coates said.

Before the last World Cup in Germany in 2006, investigative journalist Andrew Jennings illuminated a culture of bribes and a ticketing fiasco that implicated CONCACAF president Jack Warner.

"Corruption can be described in many ways," Lowy said. "I don't know of any corruption. I haven't seen it. I just know these people are amenable. I'm not putting a Utopia outlook on this. It's very fierce. Very competitive. But they have to make deals with each other to get where they want to be."

"I don't know what deals I can make with them. I just have to impress them about how much better football can be if it comes to Australia."

Lowy's need to break bread will not diminish his love of the game. He still regularly rises at 4am to watch live games on the other side of the planet.

Yet, in almost every report written about FFA's bid in the last week, there has been delicate reference to Lowy's age.

Lowy is not fussed: "I'll work as long as I can. I train every day. I do exercises every day. I swim every day and stretch every day.

"What is in store for me, only God knows. And God will decide. Fate will decide. As long as I have my health and clarity of mind, I'll work -- for football or whatever.

 

[midfielder]

This is worth putting here it is a thread created by a a football fan on the ROAR (not the Queensland team).

What it shows IMO is how much normal football folk understand about the  advantage of the work cup coming to Australia and secondly we can communicate and create our own media without anywhere near the dependence on the main stream media as other codes...

Anyway to a well written thread IMO .... http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/06/27/how-australia-will-win-the-world-cup/

By Con Stamocostas



How Australia will win its bid for the World Cup

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, talks with Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy as they arrive at the opening ceremony for the 58th FIFA congress in Sydney, Thursday, May 29, 2008. AP Photo/Mark Baker

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, talks with Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy as they arrive at the opening ceremony for the 58th FIFA congress in Sydney, Thursday, May 29, 2008. AP Photo/Mark Baker

During a speech at the Press Club gallery, FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said that Australia had embarked on a Herculean task in trying to win the right to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.

Victory, he said, would fulfill the countries wildest dreams.

There is another eighteen months for the FFA and the rest of Australia to inform, impress, influence and inspire the members of the FIFA Executive Committee.

Frank Lowy says that the philosophy that underpinned the revival of football at a local level is the same that motivates the World Cup bid.

The economic impact of hosting a World Cup will be huge.

The FFA commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers to undertake an economic impact analysis of hosting the World Cup and the Confederations Cup.

A joint PWC/Monash University study estimated the impact as a $5.3 billion increase in GDP and a cumulative employment effect of 74,000 jobs.

The decision on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be made in December this year.

This is the first time that a decision for two World Cups will be made at the same time.

The bidders Australia will have face are favourites England; a strong Iberian bid by Spain and Portugal; a resource rich Russian bid; other Asian bidders Qatar, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea; and North Americas Mexico and the United States.

To win it, the Australian bid require 13 votes. There are 24 members in the FIFA executive who will decide.

The nine bidding associations go into a ballot. Each member of the 24 member executive including FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, vote for one country.

What happens then is the country that has the lowest number of votes will be eliminated. The same process of elimination begins again until finally there is one country remaining.

There are four members from Africa, four members from Asia, three from Central and North America, eight from Europe, and three from South America and one from Oceania.

So how will Australia get those 13 votes needed during the first round of voting?

You would suspect that the members from the bidding countries on the FIFA executive that vote Japan, United States, Belgium, England, Russia and Spain will vote for themselves.

Oceania has stated on the World Game TV programme that they will vote for Australia. So count one to the Aussies there.

So how will the rest of Australia inform, impress, influence and inspire the members of the FIFA Executive Committee?

The bid and TV ad slogan Come Play was one way of doing it. As well as the website where ordinary fans can sign up and interact with Socceroos.

A Facebook site has also gone up with up-to-date information about the bid.

Why choose Asia?

First, the FFA has to convince the world to choose Asia ahead of Europe or North America. The World Cup has only been in Asia once during its 80 year history.

During the speech, Frank Lowy spoke about the might of Asias political and economic power, and how it was rising around the world.

The wealth of Asia continues to grow, he said in his speech. It is where the customers are for goods and services, and for football.

He added that the biggest television audience for the World Cup, by far, lies in Asia, not Europe or America.

According to IATA, in 2014 there will be more people flying in Asia than in Europe or America.

Lowy outlined why Australia is a better choice that Europe, saying it was: Like putting a cherry on top of a gigantic chocolate cake. He added Europe is a mature market it is already overflowing with the highest quality football on a weekly basis.

Of the United States, he said: Even under the rosiest scenarios, (it) will remain problematic for football given the unique characteristics of that market and the entrenched competition from other sports.

So the FFA has convinced the Wworld to go with Asia, why then choose Australia?

Frank Lowy outlined six points:

1) The first was Australias record of Safety, Organisation, Friendliness at major events
2) The Australian bid has support from all levels of government to mount a genuine national bid. Frank Lowy has said: From the outset the Prime Minister has provided unequivocal support, and his personal involvement, including a direct appeal to delegates at last years FIFA Congress in Sydney, has made a huge impact.
3) Australia has the infrastructure. FIFA technical requirements for the 2018 and 2022 bids state that the bids should have:
* A minimum of 12 stadia, at least two of which must hold 80,000 fans
10 stadia which must hold a minimum of 45,000 fans
Training facilities for 32 teams; and,
Five-star accommodation for a minimum of four teams, the FIFA organisation and match officials in every host city.
4) The World Cup in South Africa will be in winter. So the far from being a problem, the FFA believes that the weather, distance and time zones and the Australian climate delivers a situation for perfect football weather in June and July.
Speaking about the weather and time zones, Mr Lowy said: Too much was made of Australias so-called geographic isolation and time zone differences He went on to say that the the 1 billion viewers in China, and the billions in India, Japan, Korea, and South East Asia, would appreciate being close to Australias time zone.
5) Australia has generated enormous goodwill in world football over the past few years, especially during the last World Cup in Germany. The Socceroos excited everyone. And its worth noting that in terms of ticket sales to the 2006 World Cup, Australians ranked fifth in the world and Australias group games for the World Cup in South Africa have already sold out.
6) Lowy also spoke about how the FFA was being recognised in FIFA and the AFC. The chairman of the FFA said: It was no coincidence that senior Members of the FFA had been recognised and are now serving on key Committees of regional and world football.

So the other bidders have famous heads of state, famous sports stars and celebrities. Australia secret weapon is you and me.

The FFA say they will have to inform, impress, influence and inspire the members of the FIFA Executive Committee. There is eighteen months before the decision.

Do you think we can do it?

 

[clarence]

We won't need a flat pack stadium.

By 2018 we will already have our own modern stadium at the heaving metropolis of Tuggerah connected to Sydney,Melbourne,Canberra and Brisbane by a VFT network.

There will be an extra freeway to Sydney to compliment the existing and recently upgraded to 6 lanes each way F3 and with quick access to Somersby international airport.

Debate will be raging in the community whether the dying sport of thugby league should be allowed to continue playing out of the crumbling and unsafe Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.

As their crowds are only a few hundred they will be allowed to stay for the time being.

Prime Minister Dibo will be busy welcoming all the overseas dignitarys to Australia whilst the greenies will be up in arms over the recent bylaws passed in parliament allowing hunters to shoot the increasing population of flying pigs!

;D

Then you woke up in a wet spot..........  ;D

If all that infrastructure DID actually happen, the folks on the Coast would be up in arms about the massive increases in the valuations of properties up here, and the resultant increases in Council Rates.

 

[Jocwa08]

when do they decide where it is ??

 

[midfielder]

The Chief Economist with the Australian Trade Commission has a lot of good things to say about both football and the WC bid.

http://www.theworldgame.com.au/socceroos/world-cup-to-boost-trade-198752

The Australian Government will use next years FIFA World Cup as a platform to expand trade links with Africa, according to one of the governments top economists.

Tim Harcourt, chief economist with the Australian Trade Commission, has told an audience in New York that the 2010 World Cup would bring trade benefits to Australia providing previously difficult opportunities to engage economically with Africa.

I will be in South Africa next year for the World Cup because obviously that is the world game and with Australias strong links now with Asia and Africa we are going to do as much as we can, Harcourt said. We want to help South Africa put on a good World Cup and build on that if we can. Africa is the fastest growing continent in terms of trade with Australia.

Amid the hullabaloo generated by World Cup qualification, increased trade opportunities around the world on the back of the Socceroos success is often overlooked.

Harcourt said last years Beijing Olympics in China had created many opportunities in the region for Australian companies and not just big name comapnies. Facilities and infrastructure in Beijing and Shanghai had been designed and built by small and medium-sized Australian companies, Harcourt said, piggybacking on the back of sporting events.

When I joined Austrade in 2000, China was moving up the ranks and most people were saying it would overtake Japan as out major trading partner in 2015, Harcourt said. It happened a lot quicker than we thought.

You saw it last year at the Beijing Olympics. You saw the Water Cube which was done by an Australian architect that was very visible during the Olympic Games; You also saw it when you looked at the traffic system around Beijing that was done by an Australian; And when you looked at the hockey stadium, that was by a small Australian company; then you go to the aquarium in Shanghai, that was by an Australian company, too.

 

[midfielder]

BB is presenting our case in SA while setting up the Socceroos base. From Sowetan

http://www.sowetan.co.za/Sport/SoccerZone/Article.aspx?id=1026479

Socceroos to train at Milpark

01 July 2009


AUSTRALIAs Socceroos have started in earnest with their preparations for the 2010 World Cup by identifying their base and training facility in Johannesburg.

Ben Buckley, Football Federation Australias chief executive, said Australia will be using Milpark Stadium for their training sessions. The Socceroos will be based at the posh Westcliff Hotel.

Buckley and other top brass from the Australian government and federation are here to promote their bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals.

They have been holding meetings with the South African government, the Local Organising Committee and business to work together in their bidding campaign.

Its great for us that the Socceroos have qualified, Buckley said. We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Confederations Cup: it proved critics [who doubted South Africas ability to host major events] to be wrong.

Buckley said Australia were highly impressed by the facilities teams will use during the 2010 World Cup.

He also praised Stan Whiting, chief executive of Bidvest Wits, for agreeing to make Milpark Stadium available to the Socceroos.

Other countries that have qualified for 2010 include North Korea, Japan, South Korea and Netherlands

 

[midfielder]

Kevin 07 to present at Zurich why Australia should get the  WC.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/soccer/rudd-to-talk-up-australia-as-showpiece-for-world-cup/2009/07/04/1246127734903.html

Rudd to talk up Australia as showpiece for World Cup

 
Paul Millar
July 5, 2009

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd will move into uncharted waters this week when he tries to convince the most powerful man in world sport that Australia should host soccer's World Cup.

Rudd will make a body-swerve on his six-day trip to meet national leaders to lobby FIFA president Sepp Blatter at his Zurich headquarters as Australia intensifies its efforts to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

He leaves tomorrow for meetings in Malaysia, Berlin, Zurich and Italy on climate change and the global recession and will then add his name to a queue of lobbyists trying to convince Blatter Australia has what it takes to host soccer's showpiece event.

"Apart from Cathy Freeman's final in the 2000 Olympics, no other event united Australians more than our team's win to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, and our subsequent games in Germany," Rudd said.

"Before I visit Italy, I will drop in on the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, in Zurich and explain to him what a fabulous venue Australia would be for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022," he said at a fund-raising event in Melbourne for victims of the earthquake that killed almost 300 in Italy's Abruzzo region in April.

"Perhaps no event has given Australians a better understanding of Italian culture than the 2006 World Cup

"Now we understand why phones are left off the hook, why cafes shut, and why people take leave from work during the World Cup," he told an audience that included many of Melbourne's most influential Italians on Friday night.

"Perhaps I shouldn't mention that Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek's target at next year's World Cup is to take Australia to the quarter-finals and improve on their performance in Germany three years ago.

"Perhaps I won't quote late Australian legend Johnny Warren who famously once said that his country should stop wondering whether they would qualify for World Cups and instead should ask when they would start winning them.

"Whoever we support in next year's World Cup, we all love the game, and we all agree that the World Cup should come to Australia," he said.

Meanwhile, one of football's most influential figures, German legend Franz Beckenbauer, has dropped a strong hint he could back Australia's bid to host a FIFA World Cup.

Beckenbauer, 63, is a member of the 24-man executive committee of world football governing body FIFA, which will decide the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December next year.

 

[Jazzie]

when do they decide where it is ??

December 2010

 

[tuftman]

when do they decide where it is ??

December 2010

Best Christmas present ever if we won it.

One of the Sunday papers today had a quote from 'Der Kaiser' saying that Australia would be a good place to host the World Cup. Its not an official vote or anything, but it got me that little more excited

 

[dibo]

From reading the article, it was a polite answer to a question - 'Can Australia host the World Cup?', rather than 'Who do you think should host the World Cup?'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/australia-a-good-chance-to-host-world-cup-beckenbauer/2009/07/04/1246127732011.html

Asked about the 11-nation race to host the event, the man nicknamed "Der Kaiser" (the Emperor) said: "It's too far away, it's more than one year to go."

But when pressed on the chances of the most popular sporting tournament in the world heading Down Under, he gave a strong hint that his vote may be among the 13 needed.

"Australia? I think they have a good chance because the World Cup's never been to Australia," Beckenbauer told The Sun-Herald. "Australia's a beautiful country, a beautiful continent."

So he knows we're bidding and you'd guess he could pick the difference between Australia and Austria, but that's all you can draw out of that.

 

[serious14]

http://bit.ly/6n8YN

Hmmmmmm.

 

[dibo]

There are two on offer you know, and in the Sun Herald article he makes clear he wants 2018 back in Europe. He's actually playing a surprisingly straight bat, it's the excitable journo that's spinning.

 

[midfielder]

Pictures of Kevin 747 at FIFA headquarters

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/gallery/1346,kevin-rudd-meets-sepp-blatter-pic-special.aspx/35141

 

[midfielder]

Kevin 747 & Obie Wan had a good reception

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/107264,rudd-pushes-cup-bid-in-person.aspx

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has pushed Australia's World Cup bid in person in a private meeting with FIFA President Sepp Blatter at FIFA Headquarters in Zurich.

In exclusive talks that lasted more than an hour, Prime Minister Rudd outlined Australia's claims to host the greatest show on earth accompanied by Football Federation Australia Chairman Frank Lowy as well as FFA CEO Ben Buckley and FIFA CEO Jerome Valcke.

Lowy later said the Australian delegation received a very warm reception from the FIFA President.

"President Blatter is already well aware of Australia's strong track record in hosting major events," he said. "But it was a very good opportunity for Mr Blatter to hear personally from the Prime Minister of the Government's support for the bid.

"We also spoke of the importance of Asia for the future growth and development of football and Australia's place as part of the Asian Football Confederation."

He added: "Asia is on the rise economically, in terms of goods and services as well as in football."

"This bid is for football but, above all else, it is for Australia."

FFA will be required to make a final presentation to FIFA, football's world governing body, in December 2010 prior to a decision being made by the 24 man FIFA Executive Committee.

 

[midfielder]

More of Kevin 747 from the smh ...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/political-football-rudd-gives-cup-bid-a-kick-along/2009/07/08/1246732382607.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Paola Totaro in Berlin and Michael Cockerill

July 9, 2009

PRIME MINISTER Kevin Rudd reinforced the argument that awarding the 2018 World Cup to Australia would help open up the game to a new frontier when he spent an hour with the FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Zurich on Wednesday.

Rudd made a brief diversion to Zurich on his way to Italy for the G8 talks to "pay respects" to Blatter and put in a good word for Australia to host the World Cup.

Billionaire Westfield boss Frank Lowy threw his support behind the visit, arriving in Berlin on Tuesday night then accompanying Rudd on his mission on behalf of Australian football fans.

Rudd took time out from his hectic European schedule to join FFA chairman Frank Lowy on a lightning visit to FIFA headquarters in Switzerland, where the 11 countries bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are due to hold workshops later today.

While Australia has bid for both tournaments, both Rudd and Lowy stressed the focus remained on 2018, and Blatter is believed to have been impressed by the level of government support.

It is the second time Rudd has met Blatter, but the first time the FIFA president has seen the FFA's promotional video, which was unveiled when the bid was officially launched in Canberra last month.

The Prime Minister presented Blatter with a bottle of Grange Hermitage and in return was given a football. The two men and Lowy then had an impromptu kickaround.

There is expected to be ferocious competition to host the World Cup during the next few years, with heavyweights the United States, England and Russia throwing their hats in the ring. A decision on the hosts is not expected until late next year.

Rudd's and Lowy's first formal foray together on the bid comes as the sport gains momentum throughout Australia and the Socceroos steadily climb the world rankings, reaching their highest at 16th. For the first time too, the Socceroos will appear in successive finals.

The Australian presentation was warmly received by Blatter, who explained the process by which a decision would be reached.

Europe, especially England, remains the favoured destination for the 2018 World Cup, but Rudd and Lowy again argued that football's so-called "first world" was a saturated market, and taking the game's showpiece event to Australia would help open up a new market for football.

The Prime Minister made the point that Asia represented a huge opportunity for the growth of the game, and that Australia's location was an important factor to be considered.

An FFA spokesperson, who attended the meeting, said: "The Prime Minister argued for the growth of the game, and while we have bid for both 2018 and 2022, there's a genuine feeling that 2018 is very much achievable."

Rudd also highlighted Australia's strengths, including its strong record of hosting successful, large-scale, international events, including the Olympics, citing Australia's excellent facilities and strong sporting culture.

Lowy and Blatter had a private lunch after the meeting

 

[snowroo]

Now all we need are the wankers in the media to get real....or get hit by a fleet of buses. Had one pathetic tosser in the Age today write his match report suggesting more than once that the cricket is better, in a Football match report. Wanker.

 

[midfielder]

From the FIFA site


http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/insidefifa/news/newsid=1080106.html#fifa+president+welcomes+australian+prime+minister

FIFA President welcomes Australian prime minister
(FIFA.com) Thursday 9 July 2009


An Australian delegation, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Australian FA President Frank Lowy, visited the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Wednesday 8 July 2009 for talks with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

Among the topics discussed was Australias bid to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. FIFA has received a total of eleven bids to host one of the two tournaments. Apart from Australia. the following member associations have signalled their desire to host FIFAs most important tournament: Belgium and the Netherlands, England, Indonesia, Japan, Korea Republic, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Spain and Portugal, and the USA.

"I am delighted and honoured that the Australian prime minister has personally made his way to the Home of FIFA and conveyed to me his interest in staging a tournament. Overall, the 13 member associations and total of eleven bids reflect the enormous interest in our most important competition, the FIFA World Cup, a global event with a genuinely worldwide presence," commented Blatter

 

[midfielder]

NT are all the go

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/107427,territorys-world-cup-assist.aspx

Territory's World Cup Assist

THE NORTHERN Territory believes it has a major part to play in both helping Australia secure and then host the World Cup.

The Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson has held discussions with Football Federation Australia's Chief Executive Officer Ben Buckley.

"The Northern Territory also has strong trade, business and political links with Asia, which stand us in good stead to encourage those nations to help bring the premier World Game to Australia.

"This is a historic bid that will benefit the entire nation, and the Northern Territory stands ready to help in any way we can," said Mr Henderson.

Mr Henderson said the Northern Territory had the facilities, the will and the grassroots backing to support the bid.

"I had a very positive discussion with Mr Buckley about how the Territory might help Australia's bid - from hosting acclimatisation games to lobbying Asian nations to support the bid.

"Mr Buckley has said he wants to visit the Territory to further our discussions.

"While we are a small jurisdiction, football has an incredible following and is the number one participation sport for young Territorians.

"We certainly have the facilities to support a World Cup bid. Our $7.5 million Football Stadium at Larrakia Park has hosted an international match and Hyundai A-League exhibition games, with the most recent being last week's match between Adelaide United and the North Queensland Fury."

Sports Minister Karl Hampton said the Territory also had excellent sports sciences and services at Northern Territory Institute of Sport.

"The Territory has significant experience in hosting international competitions through our biennial Arafura Games. This year's Games attracted seven international football teams, including England and Japan," Mr Hampton said.