FIFA has announced that Indonesia will no longer be hosting the 2023 Under-20 World Cup, which was originally scheduled to take place from May 20 to June 11, 2023.
The decision comes less than a week after FIFA cancelled the official draw for the tournament, which was to take place in Bali, Indonesia.
The cancellation was allegedly due to the governor of the province of Bali refusing to host a delegation from Israel, which led to protests calling for Israel to be disqualified from the competition.
The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) claims that the cancellation of the draw was a result of the governor of Bali refusing to host a delegation from Israel. Although Indonesia and Israel have no official diplomatic connections, there have been protests recently calling for Israel to be disqualified from the competition in favour of Palestine. Israel was granted tournament eligibility in 2019 after Indonesia was awarded the hosting rights.
FIFA’s decision to strip Indonesia of the hosting rights for the 2023 Under-20 World Cup is likely to have significant implications for the tournament’s organization.
FIFA has not yet announced where the tournament will now be held, but the cancellation of the official draw and the decision to revoke Indonesia’s hosting rights are likely to cause significant delays and disruptions to the tournament’s planning and preparation.
The Statement
Fifa has decided, due to the current circumstances, to remove Indonesia as the host of the Fifa U20 World Cup 2023,” a statement from FIFA read.
“A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged. Potential sanctions against the PSSI may also be decided at a later stage.”
As of the time of filling this report, FIFA was yet to announce the country that will host the tournament which is supposed to be two months away.
Note that Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles have qualified for the tournament.
