Malaysia has the ambition to host the FIFA World Cup, the most prestigious football tournament in the world.
The aspiration was voiced by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who wants to see the country not only host the tournament, but also qualify to play as a representative of Southeast Asia.
According to him, the dream may be realized in the future if the development of national football continues to be strengthened. He hopes that Harimau Malaya will be able to compete on the world's highest stage when the time comes.
The development comes as Harimau Malaya's performance shows improvement. Based on the latest FIFA update, the national squad has moved up two places to 136th in the world ranking, compared to the previous position of 138th.
Ahmad Zahid said this when attending a giant screen screening of the World Cup final match at Bangi Square 2. The event was also enlivened with a Borak Bola session with national football legends, Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, Mohd Farizal Marlias and Mohamad Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak.
Hundreds of football fans attended to enliven the program before the event ended with the Semarak Subuh Program at Surau Al-Hamidiah, Bangi
The aspiration to host the World Cup is seen as one of the long-term goals in the effort to elevate Malaysian football to the international level.
