Indonesia will still host the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in spite of a stadium stampede earlier this month, an official of world football governing body FIFA said on Tuesday.
Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, said they were setting up an office in Indonesia to oversee efforts to change the country’s football in the wake of the tragedy.
The tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium on Oct. 1 had left more than 130 people dead.
“We have the under-20 World Cup in which the best male players of the world will come to Indonesia and their talent will shine from Indonesia to the entire world,” Infantino said at a press conference after a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
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“To do this, we need 10 state-of-the-art stadiums, and we need operations that run smoothly and seamlessly,” he said.
The Under-20 World Cup is scheduled to run from May 20 through June 11 next year.
The tournament was due to be held in 2021 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reform will focus on the operations of stadiums, fan behaviour and infrastructure, Infantino said.
