Indonesia stripped of hosting Under-20 World Cup by FIFA

GENEVA — Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation. “After delivering a letter from President Joko Widodo and discussing it at length with the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, we must accept FIFA’s decision to cancel the holding of the event that we are both looking forward to.” He said although he’d conveyed all the concerns and hopes of Indonesia’s president, soccer lovers as well as the players from the Under-20 Indonesian national team, “FIFA considered that the current situation cannot be continued.” Soccer and public authorities in Indonesia agreed to FIFA’s hosting requirements in 2019 before being selected to stage the 2021 edition of the Under-20 World Cup. among other things that there should be no discrimination,” Sinulingga said in an interview with a local television, “What we are most worried about right now is that we will be ostracized from international events, especially from world soccer activities.” He said that “it can happen and it will be very detrimental to us in many ways.” “We have something that is bigger than losing our right to host the Under-20 World Cup. FIFA bills the men’s Under-20 World Cup as “the tournament of tomorrow’s superstars.” Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba are previous winners of the official player of the tournament award, and Erling Haaland was the top scorer at the 2019 edition.