Hosting the World Cup: A grand ambition or a bold heart?

Australia beat Turkey 2-0. Not thanks to fancy footwork. Nor because they have players plying their trade at top European clubs. It was through intensity—denying the opponent a single moment to dwell on the ball, pressing relentlessly throughout, and a team where every player ran as if their lives depended on it.

Many pundits have dubbed this the 'most underrated upset' of the group stage. Turkey boasted numerous players in Europe's top leagues and were tipped to advance far. Australia, though a 'European-style' side, represents Asia. Together with Japan, Australia stands as the greatest hope from the most populous continent at the 2026 World Cup, both having reached the last 32.

However, that outcome was no coincidence. It stemmed from a bold decision taken two decades earlier. In 2001, Football Australia made a contentious move: leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), where they were completely dominant, to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and take on the four traditional powers who were regulars at the World Cup: Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

The motivation was not that AFC was easier. Quite the opposite: AFC was far more challenging. Yet that was precisely what Australia required. In the OFC, Australia won every game by huge margins, but repeatedly fell in intercontinental playoffs due to the lack of formidable opponents to test themselves against.

Frank Lowy, the then chairman of Football Australia, concluded that for growth, Australian football had to encounter genuine competition. Since their transfer to the AFC in 2006, Australia has qualified for every World Cup edition. They opted for the difficult route, not because they were already superior, but because they understood that only a tough road could forge their strength.

Kazakhstan followed a similar path, but in the opposite direction. In 2002, Kazakhstan departed the AFC to join UEFA, willingly becoming a cellar dweller in Europe, suffering defeats to even Northern Ireland and Andorra in the early years, because they were convinced that the European stage would provide the genuine impetus for domestic football development and commercial prospects for clubs competing in the Champions League and Europa League. Two decades on, they are now competing on equal footing with Denmark and Scotland in Euro qualification.

In terms of quality, Kazakhstan is likely not inferior to Uzbekistan, a fellow Central Asian nation that is making its World Cup debut in 2026. Did Kazakhstan pick the correct route? That depends on one's viewpoint. However, what is clear is that these were intentional decisions, not passive drift.

In football, everyone harbors a grand dream—to grace the World Cup at least once. Consider the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout rounds: Cape Verde. With a population of just over half a million, they still crafted a fairytale by advancing to the last 32 and confronting Messi's defending champions Argentina.

But let's be frank: that fairytale was not scripted purely by dreaming. Cape Verde lacks million-dollar stars, yet their players are capable of featuring for second-division clubs in Europe. What remains is a methodical and intentional policy of leveraging diaspora talent. In other words, Cape Verde indeed has a grand ambition. However, it was the actions that matched that ambition which propelled them to glory in North America.

What lessons does Vietnamese football draw from these narratives? Does our own grand ambition accompany a courageous heart?

In reality, even within Southeast Asia, decisions that break conventional patterns are emerging. Indonesian football has repeatedly voiced intentions to exit the AFF. They aspire to join the East Asian football scene to compete at a higher standard. Unable to make the move, they demonstrate their stance by downplaying the ASEAN Cup. Their actions, whether liked or not, indicate that their choice is not misguided. Indonesia cannot aggressively pursue naturalization policies and then aim for titles in Southeast Asia. If the objective is too modest, they would struggle to persuade Dutch-heritage diaspora players to don their national colors.

FIFA itself recognized this trend, which led to the creation of the FIFA ASEAN Cup. The core concept is to transform a regional competition that was growing stagnant into a compact event with greater competitiveness, and improved team quality if two or three East Asian sides participate, leveraging the FIFA Days window.

These are necessary transformations, even if we cannot yet guarantee their degree of success. But without trying, how can we know? Australia did not wait until they were already strong to switch to the AFC. They made the move while still lacking strength, because they understood that only a more challenging environment can foster genuine growth.

Kazakhstan did not wait until they possessed players strong enough for UEFA. They joined UEFA first and developed their players within that environment. Japan is prepared to field B teams and youth squads in continental competitions because their vision already stretches far beyond Asia.

A grand dream is the starting line, not the finish line. The distance between these two points is bridged not by enthusiasm alone, but by bold, unorthodox decisions that are frequently criticized at the very moment they are taken.