The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, today met FIFA President Sepp Blatter to help make Australia's case to host the world's biggest sporting event in 2022 - the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA's Executive Committee members will decide which countries will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 2 December in Zurich.
The Prime Minister's meeting with Mr Blatter follows Football Federation Australia's (FFA) submission of its Bid Book in May and a FIFA inspection tour of Australia in July. The Prime Minister said that the meeting was a good opportunity to reinforce the commitment of the Australian Government to the bid and to highlight Australia's strengths as a bidding nation.
Australia is a sports-loving nation with a proud history of hosting outstanding major events. Like the Olympics in 2000, the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and the Commonwealth Games in 2006, a FIFA World Cup held in Australia would be a first class event, professionally delivered and enthusiastically embraced by the Australian people.
Australia is the only continent never to have hosted a World Cup and is competing against a strong field of bidders from across Asia, Europe and the United States of America, some of whom are also bidding for the 2018 tournament.
The Australian Government has been a strong supporter of Football Federation Australia's (FFA) bid to host the World Cup since FFA Chairman Frank Lowy announced his intention to bid for the event in February 2008.
This has included:
* a contribution of $45.6 million to support bidding activities;
* the establishment of a dedicated Taskforce within the Commonwealth to work with FFA, State and Territory Governments and other key stakeholders to assist in the development of a competitive, high quality submission to FIFA; and
* the delivery of the necessary guarantees and other commitments require d as part of the bidding material.
Ms Gillard said the Australian Government has been proud to work closely with FFA over the past two years and should we be awarded the World Cup we would look forward to working with FFA and FIFA to deliver a magnificent event just as we have with other major international sporting festivals.
Ms Gillard made the short visit to Zurich to meet Mr Blatter as part of her first international trip as Prime Minister. She has visited Australian troops in Afghanistan and is representing Australia at the ASEM leaders meeting (ASEM) in Brussels.