An artisan puts the finishing touches to soccer-themed umbrellas at the Semanggi Harmoni small and medium manufacturers center (IKM) in Surakarta, Central Java, on Nov. 27, 2023. The umbrellas and hats were sold as souvenirs of the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup semifinal and final soccer matches at Manahan Stadium in the city. (Antara/Maulana Surya)
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ndonesia is gearing up to put in a bid to soccer’s world governing body FIFA to jointly host the 2025 Under-20 (U-20) World Cup with Singapore, following the recent success in hosting the U-17 soccer competition.
Should the Southeast Asian countries be selected for the U-20 competition, it will be the second time for Indonesia to be granted the rights to organize the junior soccer competition after being stripped of its hosting rights for this year’s tournament, following opposition by local politicians to the Israeli team’s participation in the tournament.
On Monday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo told the press that the U-17 tournament, which concluded on Saturday with Germany beating France on penalties, was a success and very well organized.
“[The U-17 tournament in Indonesia] has been lauded by FIFA as one of the best events,” Jokowi said in Monday’s press briefing in Jakarta. “This achievement is a source of pride for all Indonesians and also has had a positive impact on the world’s perception of Indonesia.”
He added that he had instructed the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and the Youth and Sports Ministry to lodge a joint bid with Singapore to host the biannual U-20 tournament in 2025. The two countries would also put up a tender to host four iterations of the U-17 World Cup, which will be made into an annual event, between 2025 and 2029.
Jokowi also said that Indonesia would start preparations for the bid by renovating 22 stadiums across the country, without elaborating on which stadiums had been selected.
“I’m sure Indonesia and Singapore can be great hosts for these two tournaments,” the President said.
