India express interest in hosting FIFA U-20 World Cup

Photo: AFP

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday submitted an expression of interest to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019. AIFF President Praful Patel said this would be the next "logical step for the development of football in India", according to an official statement. "With India hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 this year in October, we feel hosting the U-20 World Cup would be the best way to sustain the footballing momentum in India. Even though the event was held earlier this year in Asia in South Korea, we would be happy to discuss with FIFA about the possibility of hosting the event in India in 2019," Patel said. The format of the U-20 World Cup is the same as the FIFA U-17 World Cup with 24 teams playing out of six venues. Meanwhile, the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be held in the country from October 6-28.