AMMAN —
FIFA has stripped Indonesia of its hosting rights for th
e men's U20 World Cup, set to begin on May 20, due to "current
circumstances" that have not been specified.
اضافة اعلان
The decision, which was made only eight weeks before the start of
the tournament, followed political turmoil in Indonesia over Israel's
participation, reported the Associated Press.
OppositionIsrael qualified for the tournament in June 2022, but its
participation sparked opposition in Indonesia.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and
does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, while publicly
supporting the Palestinian cause.
FIFA meets with Indonesian football federation presidentFIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Indonesian football federation
president Erick Thohir in Doha to discuss the situation.
The decision to strip Indonesia of the hosting rights has left the
tournament's future uncertain, with no clear replacement host yet identified.
According to FIFA, a new host will be announced soon, with the
tournament's dates remaining unchanged. Argentina, which did not qualify for
the tournament, is reportedly interested in hosting.
Indonesia's soccer federation could face
further disciplinary action from FIFA. A suspension could remove Indonesia from Asian qualifying for
the 2026 World Cup, which starts in October.
FIFA, however, seemed to absolve Thohir of any blame for the
situation. FIFA staff will continue to work in Indonesia in the months ahead
under Thohir's leadership.
‘Tournament of tomorrow's superstars’The
men's U20 World Cup is considered "the tournament of
tomorrow's superstars," with previous winners including Diego Maradona,
Lionel Messi, and Paul Pogba. Erling Haaland was the top scorer at the 2019
edition of the tournament.
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