The Japan Football Association is planning to join a bid to host the 2046 FIFA World Cup.
If the bid is successful, Japan would host World Cup matches for the first time since the country co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea in 2002.
The JFA aims to be part of a joint bid by the East Asian Football Federation, to which the Japanese association belongs, and the ASEAN Football Federation. In March, the two federations agreed to consider hosting a World Cup together.
Japan, South Korea and China, as well as Indonesia and Australia, which have abandoned their own plans for co-hosting the 2034 World Cup, have voiced interest in staging matches for the 2046 event.
The JFA hopes to host its second World Cup by 2050. The federation also has a goal of winning the tournament for the first time.
A World Cup hosted by one country has become increasingly unrealistic due to the event expanding to feature more participants. The 2026 event will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, while the 2030 tournament will be held in Europe, Africa and South America.
The hosting of the massive sporting event is typically rotated between continents, based on FIFA policy.
As Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, a JFA official said that the 2046 event “is the most realistic option” for submitting a bid.
