Skip to main content

Australia plan to spend $2.8 billion

Three new stadiums would be built in Perth, Canberra and Blacktown in Sydney's western suburbs, while nine venues in other cities would be upgraded, the FFA said in a statement.

"The infrastructure investment will leave a legacy to all sporting codes in the nation before and after the FIFA World Cup for generations to come," FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said.

Australia joined other nations' delegations in handing over their bid book to world governing body FIFA on Friday, only days after striking a government-brokered deal with rival football codes over access to key stadia.

Compensation for the rival codes, who have long-standing leases with some of the stadiums but have agreed to vacate them for up to 10 weeks should Australia's bid be successful, could cost organisers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Australia's projected World Cup bill is still cheaper than Qatar's $4 billion budget and the construction work less arduous than that for Russia, which has promised 10 brand new stadiums.

Follow FFT.com on Twitter
Join FFT.com on Facebook