Indonesia was stripped of hosting the men’s Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation.
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Following a meeting between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Erick Thohir in Doha, FIFA has decided, due to the current circumstances, to remove Indonesia as the host of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023.
FIFA said that 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.
FIFA also announced that it "would like to underline that despite this decision, it remains committed to actively assisting the PSSI, in close cooperation and with the support of the government of President Widodo, in the transformation process of Indonesian football following the tragedy that occurred in October 2022."
"Members of the FIFA team will continue to be present in Indonesia in the coming months and will provide the required assistance to the PSSI, under the leadership of President Thohir," it added.
Israel qualified for its first Under-20 World Cup in June. The country’s participation in Friday’s scheduled to draw in Bali provoked political opposition earlier this month.
Indonesia’s hosting was cast into doubt on Sunday when FIFA postponed the draw.
It is unclear who could host the tournament, however, according to reports, Argentina, which did not qualify for the tournament, is interested in hosting.