Japan interested in hosting 2018 World Cup

Saturday 17th January, 07:05 AM JST

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14 Comments

jwills79 at 10:06 AM JST - 17th January

Why is Japan trying to spread themselves so thin? They are trying to do everything at once like they have something to prove to their surrounding neighbors perhaps. There chances of the Olympics are still quite slim. It is like they are suffering from a little man complex.
techall at 10:13 AM JST - 17th January

Don't these people ever learn? The last time they co-hosted the World Cup, they built all those trophy stadiums the up-keep of which has become a burden on the local governments and they are woefully unused. I read somewhere that at the present rate of use, it will take more than 100 years to pay off the stadium in Yokohama where the 2002 final game was held. Who is gonna pay for this?
Potsu at 10:39 AM JST - 17th January

PLEASE NO !
PuffinMuffin at 11:16 AM JST - 17th January

wasnt 2002 enough
timorborder at 11:44 AM JST - 17th January

And the Olympics? Selfishness and stupidty collide.
sf2k at 12:41 PM JST - 17th January

I don't know if Japan is in surplus or in debt, but willfully trying to be more in debt is just silly
northlondon at 02:23 PM JST - 17th January

‘‘But it is an absolutely requirement that Tokyo succeeds in its bid to stage the 2016 Olympics. In the event that it fails, it would be physically impossible to host the World Cup.’’

? Inukai has basically spelt out to FIFA that Japan is not ready to host the 2018 World Cup. If you are not ready without the Olympic bid succeeding, then you are just not ready Mr Inukai. The Olympics and the World Cup are not connected.

As for those overfed blazers over at FIFA, awarding a financial/ economic bid in 2010 for a World Cup tournament 12 years later in 2022 is the most ridiculous decision those fools have ever made. Are they so slack that they now cannot be bothered to go through the correct process every 4 years ?
Ninjazilla at 03:02 PM JST - 17th January

Its gonna go to Chicago no question.
Musubi at 03:52 PM JST - 17th January

I hope to see 2016 Tokyo olympics and 2018/2022 world cup. They have a passion.
Potsu at 05:16 PM JST - 17th January

Musubi...passion is irrelevent."They" DON'T have adequate infrastructure for a start,it was nightmare for foreign tourists and fans last time with terrible accommodation facilities etc.Japan try as it might,is just not a good country to be hosting major events.
mareo2 at 06:03 PM JST - 17th January

I know many soccer fans that when Japan got to co-host the world cup with South Korea they just given up coming to see it. Is just to expensive, in special now, with the strong yen. So I think that most soccer fans around the world dont want to see a world cup in Japan.
northlondon at 06:19 PM JST - 17th January

I'm going to go against the majority here to say what a good World Cup it was in 2002. The whole country was buzzing at the time and heck, they even had a decent national team then (Troussier/ Hide/ Inamoto/ Miyamoto). This is the second most powerful economy in the world and if they want to waste their money on unused stadia then this is one country that can afford to do it. But their football association are idiots (just the same as all the others) and for Inukai to state that they cannot hold the World Cup if they don't get the Olympics is childish. Also the fact that nobody should get another World Cup only 4 more tournaments down the line.
ultradodgy at 11:09 AM JST - 19th January

Agreed with northlondon - the 2002 WC was a blast, something the entire country - and region - got behind. Good clean fun, not overcommercialized and overproduced like the Olympics.

I say - can the 2016 Olympics bid, focus on 2018, and build the stadium needed for the final - anyway, I certainly don't remember there being issues with 2002 hosting? Have the requirements changed??
DJJapan at 01:39 PM JST - 19th January

I think they should do a Rugby World Cup first. They tried for it for the next one and lost to N.Z. Maybe the next one they will make it. It would be nice if the country as a whole had more than basically 2 professional sports that could be an international reckoning.