InsideJapan News Network

Inspectors from FIFA are in Japan today (July 19th) to check out the country's facilities ahead of the World Cup tournaments due to take place in 2018 and 2022, both of which Japan is in the running to host.

As well as England, Russia, South Korea, Australia, joint bidders the Netherlands and Belgium, Spain and Portugal, Qatar and the US, Japan is hoping to secure the event on one of the dates.

The FIFA delegation will spend two months checking out what each nation has to offer in terms of facilities and infrastructure, before coming to a decision at a meeting due to be held in Zurich, Switzerland, in December this year.

Japan is focusing its efforts on the 2022 event and the FIFA group, made up of five representatives, will tour both Osaka and Tokyo on their four-day trip. They will also watch presentations from the Japan Football Association.

AFP reported that as soon as the FIFA delegation arrived, they were taken by helicopter to get a bird's eye view of the site of a new 83,000 thousand seater stadium due to be built in Osaka. This stadium would hold both the opening match of the World Cup, as well as the final, Japan said.

Written by Kimberley Homer.


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