Football Australia chief executive James Johnson says Australia would have to “footballise” oval stadiums or significantly upgrade existing rectangular grounds to have any hope of hosting a men’s World Cup.
Buoyed by the Matildas reaching the semi-finals of the best-attended Women’s World Cup yet, Johnson’s FA is ambitiously eyeing off bringing a trio of blue ribbon events to the country.
The Women’s 2026 Asian Cup is top of that list, while tentative discussions have taken place surrounding the revamped 2029 Club World Cup and the men’s World Cup in 2034.
At this year’s Women’s World Cup, three of Australia’s five biggest cities have been denied the chance to host games beyond the round of 16.
Perth Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium do not meet FIFA’s requirements to host games from the quarter-final stage onwards, and each city’s…