Less than two months into the competition cycle, FIFA moved to remove the event from Indonesia, and organizers began exploring alternatives for a new venue.
The 2023 U-20 World Cup was poised to showcase the world’s top young talents, but doubt lingered as FIFA announced the tournament would not take place in Indonesia, the country that had been chosen as the headquarters.
With 24 teams already prepared and a full slate of arrangements in place, the draw ceremony scheduled for Friday the 31st was canceled on Sunday, March 26, and formal confirmation arrived from Zurich.
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WHY THE 2023 U-20 WORLD CUP LOCATION IS CHANGING
A formal statement from the Indonesian Football Federation on Sunday, March 26, noted the cancellation of the draw and indicated no official explanation from FIFA for the decision. The message hinted that broader political factors might be at play, including concerns raised by Bali’s provincial governor about Israel’s participation. The governor’s position was said to undermine guarantees provided by the local government for the tournament, prompting relocation.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority nation, has a strained diplomatic relationship with Israel, which does not recognize Indonesia as a state. The tension contributed to a boycott of the Israeli presence at the event. Additionally, both the local team and Iraq sought to avoid being grouped with the AFC federation’s UEFA members, reflecting non-sporting tensions that could influence potential groupings in the Asian competition.
From Zurich, details remained brief. A concise notice stated that Indonesia would be withdrawn as host due to the current circumstances, without further explanation. It also mentioned that any possible sanctions for the Indonesian federation would be decided later, signaling a link to the Israel issue.
WHERE THE 2023 U-20 WORLD CUP WILL BE PLAYED
The withdrawal notice indicated that a new host nation would be announced soon. The only publicly disclosed candidacy at that time was Argentina, whose leaders had expressed willingness to host. Argentina previously hosted the tournament in 2001 and used the prospect of a 2030 World Cup bid with Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay to position itself as a contender, following a late qualification setback this year.
WHEN WILL THE U-20 WORLD CUP 2023 BE PLAYED?
The event remained slated for May 20 to June 11, 2023, with FIFA confirming the dates would hold for now despite the venue change.
HOST CITIES & STADIUMS
Once a new host country is confirmed, the specific cities and venues will be announced. The original plan had six venues in Indonesia ready to host the matches.
REVIEW OF TEAMS
Twenty-four nations qualified for the U-20 World Cup.
Asia:
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Uzbekistan
- South Korea
- Japan
Africa
- Senegal
- Niger
- Gambia
- Tunisia
Europe
- France
- Italy
- England
- Israel
- Slovakia
South America
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Ecuador
- Colombia
Central and North America
- USA
- Honduras
- Dominican Republic
- Guatemala
Oceania
GROUPS
The group stage draw had not taken place at the time of the announcement.
MATCHES AND RESULTS
Matches were set to run from May 20 through June 11, 2023, with the schedule adaptable to the new host country as needed.
Attribution: Goal