The FFA have stepped up the bid to hold either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups in Australia. A Bid Team is set to be announced to run in conjunction with the FFA to 'ensure that all stakeholders in the football community are fully united behind it (the bid), with the FIFA World CupÔ Bid Team to be chaired by FFA Chairman, Frank Lowy and led by FFA CEO Ben Buckley.'

"There is no doubt that the FIFA World CupÔ is the biggest sporting event on the planet," said FFA CEO, Ben Buckley.

"While we have had a small but dedicated team working on our bid for the past 18 months compiling infrastructure audits, economic impact analysis and working with Federal and State governments on preliminary planning, we now have a timetable to meet for the Bid and a need to establish a fully operational Bid Team.

"Our aim has always been to assemble a separate business unit within FFA with the best possible team of individuals with relevant experience and expertise supported by some of Australia's, and the world's, best consulting agencies."

An FFA media release stated, "The FFA Bid Team will grow over the next two months to between 12-15 full time staff to include additional resources covering the areas of legal services, finance, infrastructure and operations, marketing and communications and community relations. Some staff will be internal FFA appointees who have the relevant experience and expertise in bid activities and event management and others will be recruited externally along with the backfilling of existing internal positions."