The Japan Football Association (JFA) is planning a joint bid to host the 2046 FIFA World Cup alongside three East Asian countries—South Korea and China—plus four Southeast Asian nations including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
This ambitious multi-nation proposal aims to bring the World Cup back to Asia for the first time since Qatar 2022, with Japan seeking to host World Cup finals matches for the first time in 44 years since co-hosting with South Korea in 2002.
The selected Southeast Asian countries possess modern stadiums meeting FIFA requirements, including Malaysia's 90,000-capacity Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Indonesia's two 80,000+ capacity venues (Gelora Bung Karno and Jakarta International Stadium), Thailand's 70,000-seat Rajamangala Stadium, and Singapore's 55,000-capacity National Stadium.
Viet Nam was excluded from the proposed bid primarily due to limited sports infrastructure, with its largest venue Mỹ Đình National Stadium holding just over 40,000 seats and facing criticism for deteriorating conditions since opening in 2003.
A JFA official indicated that with Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, the 2046 tournament represents "the most realistic option" for Japan's bid, with FIFA expected to begin accepting formal proposals in the coming years and make the host decision around 2031.
