Australian 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
Encyclopedia
Australia submitted an unsuccessful bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
. On 2 December 2010 FIFA announced that the event would be held in Qatar. Australia also lodged a bid for the 2018 World Cup, but withdrew the bid on 10 June 2010. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be the 21st and 22nd editions of the FIFA World Cup
. The bidding procedure to host both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. The bid was presented by Frank Lowy
, Ben Buckley
, Quentin Bryce
and Elle Macpherson
.
Football Federation Australia
first confirmed in November 2007 that Australia would bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After FIFA announced they would be accepting bids for both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup in December 2008, Australia registered their intention to bid with FIFA in February 2009, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The bid was officially launched on 14 June 2009 at Parliament House in Canberra.
, rugby league
and Australian rules football
venues. At the proposed time of the World Cup during the northern hemisphere summer, these facilities are normally in regular season use by Australian rules football and the rugby codes. Former England international, Peter Withe
, now living in Australia, observes that "... there are some great stadiums in Australia but a lot of them are Aussie rules arenas. These are not great for the round ball."
The need for all World Cup stadia to be used only for World Cup games prior to and during the World Cup has caused controversy with the Australian Football League
and National Rugby League
, who claim that loss of access to almost all their major venues for eight weeks would severely disrupt their seasons and even impact the viability of their clubs. The AFL in particular has advised it will not give up Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, and the management of Docklands Stadium has ruled out use of the stadium for the bid. The use of these shared venues remains the only option for the bid, with the Australian authorities unwilling to invest massive amounts of money in new association football-only stadia. The development of Kardinia Park (Skilled Stadium) in Geelong has been proposed to replace the loss of Docklands Stadium in the FFA bid, following the World Cup the stadium would be reconfigured to a larger oval for AFL use. Compensation claims for the disrupted seasons of the local codes may run into several hundred million dollars
. The AFL and NRL and possibly also the Australian Rugby Union
(ARU) will lobby for equity from government.
The AFL, NRL and FFA announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 9 May 2010, guaranteeing the AFL and NRL seasons will continue, should the bid be successful, and compensation for the other football codes may be awarded as a result of any disruptions caused by hosting the World Cup.
The seasons for Australia's football codes are as follows:
A report conducted by McKinsey
consultants on behalf of FIFA, rated an Australian World Cup to be the worst in term of revenue. The United States were rated at 100%, Japan 73%, South Korea 71%, Qatar 70%, and Australia on 68%.
A study by global research firm IBISWorld claimed that the 2022 World Cup would be worth $35.5 billion to the Australian economy - four times the amount generated by the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Bid Chairman Frank Lowy AC announced at the bid launch that he has the personal commitment of the then-Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who announced the Federal Government's support for the bid in February 2008. In December 2008, Federal minister for sport Kate Ellis announced that the federal government would give Football Federation Australia $45.6 million to fund its World Cup bid preparation. Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull
affirmed the support of the Opposition on December 11, 2008 and again at the formal launch of the bid in June 2009.
Rudd met with Sepp Blatter
to discuss the Federal Government's support of the bid in Zurich in July 2009.
On 23 December 2009, with concerns over costs and effects of the bid upon other sporting codes, the Federal Government established a task force to take over much of the communication lacking by the bid in Australia. The taskforce will negotiate with governments regarding responsibility for stadium improvements, new facilities and financial guarantees. It will also organise and clarify ground-sharing arrangements with other sports and possible compensation for loss of venues.
At the launch, FFA chairman Frank Lowy AC said the people of Australia were its “secret weapon” to snaring the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup and encouraged the public to join the Association football-themed social networking web site. The public campaign is the first bid for a major event driven almost entirely by social media. Actress Nicole Kidman
, actor Hugh Jackman
, model Elle Macpherson
and sports stars Ian Thorpe
, Liz Ellis
, Mark Webber
and Steve Waugh
have joined to help promote the bid.
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. On 2 December 2010 FIFA announced that the event would be held in Qatar. Australia also lodged a bid for the 2018 World Cup, but withdrew the bid on 10 June 2010. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be the 21st and 22nd editions of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. The bidding procedure to host both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. The bid was presented by Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy
Frank Lowy, AC is an Australian-Israeli businessman. He is a co-founder of the Westfield Group, operator of over 100 shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Great Britain...
, Ben Buckley
Ben Buckley
Benjamin "Ben" Buckley is an Australian businessman and former Australian rules footballer. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Football Federation Australia.- VFL/AFL career :...
, Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
and Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
.
Schedule
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 15 January 2009 | Applications formally invited |
| 2 February 2009 | Closing date for registering intention to bid |
| 16 March 2009 | Deadline to submit completed bid registration forms |
| 14 May 2010 | Deadline for submission of full details of bid |
| 26–29 July 2010 | Inspection committee visits Australia |
| 2 December 2010 | FIFA to appoint hosts for 2018 and 2022 World Cups |
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
first confirmed in November 2007 that Australia would bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After FIFA announced they would be accepting bids for both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup in December 2008, Australia registered their intention to bid with FIFA in February 2009, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The bid was officially launched on 14 June 2009 at Parliament House in Canberra.
Voting
| Country | Vote | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 4 | 5 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 2 | |||
| 1 | ||||
| Total Votes | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Submitted bid venues
The following are the 12 venues that were submitted to FIFA on 14 May 2010 as part of the FFA's bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup::| Stadium (Official bid name) |
Image | Host city | State | Current capacity | Notes and redevelopment plans | Construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light... |
 |
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
 VictoriaVictoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
100,000 | Due to the stadium's capacity, it is one of two stadiums proposed to host opening and final matches for the tournament, in addition to group stage, round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches. | Existing stadium |
| Stadium Australia |  |
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
 New South WalesNew South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
83,500 | Having been the centrepiece of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games 2000 Summer Olympics The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... , this existing stadium is already in FIFA standards form to host tournament matches. Australia's bid proposes the stadium host either the opening match or the final match, as well as group stage, round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches. |
Existing stadium |
| Perth Stadium | Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... |
 Western AustraliaWestern Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
70,000 | It has been proposed that a new stadium be built in Perth or Subiaco Oval Subiaco Oval Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia... be upgraded if either of the bids are successful. |
New stadium | |
| Lang Park | Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
 QueenslandQueensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
52,500 | Regarded as the best rectangular sports stadium in Australia, the Brisbane Stadium is already acceptable by FIFA standards for the tournament. Proposed group stages, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches will find a home here. | Existing stadium | |
| Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide... |
 |
Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... |
 South AustraliaSouth Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
33,597 | Current upgrades, set for completion in 2010, will upgrade the western stand. For the tournament, the stadium will have a 48,000-seat capacity to house group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches. | Major upgrade |
| Sydney Football Stadium | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
45,500 | Only minor upgrades will be needed for the Sydney Football Stadium to meet FIFA standards for the tournament. Group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches have been proposed for the stadium. | Minor upgrade | |
| Newcastle International Sports Centre |  |
Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... |
New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
26,164 | New grandstand is currently under construction bringing capacity to 33,000 for 2011. Further expansion for the tournament will bring capacity to 42,000. Stadium is possible destination for round of 16 and quarterfinal matches in addition to the group stage matches. | Major upgrade |
| Willows Sports Complex |  |
Townsville | Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
26,500 | Major upgrades to the stadium will bring the capacity to 40,000. Potential tournament matches include group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinals. | Major upgrade |
| Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia... |
 |
Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne... |
 Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory... |
— | A modern 40,000-seat stadium will be built alongside the current stadium. Potential matches during the tournament include group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches. | New stadium |
| Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.... |
 |
Gold Coast Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous... |
Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
25,000 | Stadium to be upgraded to 40,000-seat capacity. Redevelopment is already underway and will be complete in 2011 to became a principal feature for the 2018 Commonwealth Games 2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event that will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between 4 to 15 April 2018... bid . Group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches are planned for Gold Coast Stadium. |
Major upgrade |
| Blacktown Stadium | Blacktown Blacktown, New South Wales Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest... |
New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
— | New 41,000-seat stadium located in the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown. The stadium will be located in Blacktown Olympic Park, which was created for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games 2000 Summer Olympics The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... to host softball and baseball events. Blacktown Stadium has been proposed to host group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches in the submitted bid. |
New stadium | |
| Kardinia Park |  |
Geelong | Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
35,000 | Stadium capacity would be increased to 44,000 for the tournament. Currently undergoing construction of multi-tier eastern and southwestern stands. Proposed to host group stage, round of 16, and quarterfinal matches. | Major upgrade |
Rejected bid venues
The following is a list of stadiums that were considered at one time as part of the FFA's bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final cut:| Stadium | Image | Host city | Current capacity | Remarks | Current FIFA non-compliant field dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docklands Stadium |  |
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
53,359 | Reconfigurable stadium. availability ruled out – see below: Ground sharing issues | 170 m (length) |
| WACA Ground WACA Ground The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.... |
 |
Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... |
24,500 | ||
| Wollongong Showground |  |
Wollongong | 20,000 | Western grandstand to be redeveloped from 2010 increasing capacity to 23,150. Due to a road on Western side and beach on Eastern side of the stadium, it is not possible to upgrade the existing stadium, however a greenfield site has been suggested for a new stadium. | |
| Football Park |  |
Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... |
51,224 | 177 x 145 m | |
| Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian... |
 |
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
46,000 | 153 x 137 m | |
| The Gabba |  |
Brisbane Woolloongabba, Queensland Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'... |
42,000 | 171 x 150 m |
Ground sharing issues
Of the Australian stadiums that meet FIFA's seating criteria, none are primary association football venues. They are predominantly cricketCricket field
A cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground on which the game of cricket is played. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet to 500 feet...
, rugby league
Rugby league playing field
The rugby league playing field, also referred to as a pitch or paddock, is the playing surface for the sport of rugby league football and is surfaced exclusively with grass....
and Australian rules football
Australian rules football playing field
An Australian rules football playing field is a venue where the sport of Australian rules football is played.The playing field is typically a large oval-shaped grass surface . These fields may vary especially for variations of the game...
venues. At the proposed time of the World Cup during the northern hemisphere summer, these facilities are normally in regular season use by Australian rules football and the rugby codes. Former England international, Peter Withe
Peter Withe
Peter Withe is a much-travelled English footballer who played as a striker, between 1971 and 1990...
, now living in Australia, observes that "... there are some great stadiums in Australia but a lot of them are Aussie rules arenas. These are not great for the round ball."
The need for all World Cup stadia to be used only for World Cup games prior to and during the World Cup has caused controversy with the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, who claim that loss of access to almost all their major venues for eight weeks would severely disrupt their seasons and even impact the viability of their clubs. The AFL in particular has advised it will not give up Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, and the management of Docklands Stadium has ruled out use of the stadium for the bid. The use of these shared venues remains the only option for the bid, with the Australian authorities unwilling to invest massive amounts of money in new association football-only stadia. The development of Kardinia Park (Skilled Stadium) in Geelong has been proposed to replace the loss of Docklands Stadium in the FFA bid, following the World Cup the stadium would be reconfigured to a larger oval for AFL use. Compensation claims for the disrupted seasons of the local codes may run into several hundred million dollars
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
. The AFL and NRL and possibly also the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
(ARU) will lobby for equity from government.
The AFL, NRL and FFA announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 9 May 2010, guaranteeing the AFL and NRL seasons will continue, should the bid be successful, and compensation for the other football codes may be awarded as a result of any disruptions caused by hosting the World Cup.
The seasons for Australia's football codes are as follows:
- "Q" denotes pre-competition qualifiers
- "S" denotes the start of the regular-season.
- "P" denotes playoff(s)/postseason/knockout stages.
- "F" denotes Final(s).
| League | Sport | Countries | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-League A-League The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company... |
Association football |   |
P | F | S | |||||||||
| AFL Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
|
S | P | F | |||||||||
| NRL National Rugby League The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand... |
Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
|
S | P | F | |||||||||
| Super Rugby | Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
 |
S | P | P F | |||||||||
Cost concerns and benefits
Several stories in the Australian media question the restrictions and privileges that FIFA will demand of host cities at taxpayer expense, in addition to the need to build and improve so many stadia or whether "mega-events" like the World Cup are cost-effective. The FFA has argued that these costs are overstated.A report conducted by McKinsey
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
consultants on behalf of FIFA, rated an Australian World Cup to be the worst in term of revenue. The United States were rated at 100%, Japan 73%, South Korea 71%, Qatar 70%, and Australia on 68%.
A study by global research firm IBISWorld claimed that the 2022 World Cup would be worth $35.5 billion to the Australian economy - four times the amount generated by the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Government support
Australia's bid has received government support from an early stage, with former-Prime Minister John Howard announcing federal and state/territory government support before FFA announced their intention to bid.Bid Chairman Frank Lowy AC announced at the bid launch that he has the personal commitment of the then-Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who announced the Federal Government's support for the bid in February 2008. In December 2008, Federal minister for sport Kate Ellis announced that the federal government would give Football Federation Australia $45.6 million to fund its World Cup bid preparation. Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
affirmed the support of the Opposition on December 11, 2008 and again at the formal launch of the bid in June 2009.
Rudd met with Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
to discuss the Federal Government's support of the bid in Zurich in July 2009.
On 23 December 2009, with concerns over costs and effects of the bid upon other sporting codes, the Federal Government established a task force to take over much of the communication lacking by the bid in Australia. The taskforce will negotiate with governments regarding responsibility for stadium improvements, new facilities and financial guarantees. It will also organise and clarify ground-sharing arrangements with other sports and possible compensation for loss of venues.
Bid website
Australia's bid website was launched 14 June 2009 and contains bid information as well as being a social media platform where users can share content and connect with each other.At the launch, FFA chairman Frank Lowy AC said the people of Australia were its “secret weapon” to snaring the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup and encouraged the public to join the Association football-themed social networking web site. The public campaign is the first bid for a major event driven almost entirely by social media. Actress Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, actor Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
, model Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
and sports stars Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
, Liz Ellis
Liz Ellis
Elizabeth "Liz" Ellis AM is a retired Australian netball player, a member of the national team from 1992 until 2007 and captain for the last four of those years. She is the most capped international player for Australian netball....
, Mark Webber
Mark Webber
Mark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career...
and Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
have joined to help promote the bid.