FFA boss James Johnson has detailed how the process, FIFA and FFA have all changed since Australia's disastrous bid for the 2022 World Cup.
Many Australians will hold memories of great fanfare - and taxpayer cost - in 2010, leading into the announcement of the 2022 World Cup hosting decision.
It ended in disaster: Australia only won a single vote and lost to a controversial Qatar bid.
To many, it was a sign that Australia was too disconnected from the FIFA elite and that allegations of corruption at FIFA's highest levels would always hinder us hosting the world showpiece tournament.
However, now a joint Australian-New Zealand bid is a bonafide frontrunner to host the 2023 World Cup, having won the endorsement of FIFA's bid committee report, placing us above contenders Japan and Colombia.
FFA CEO James Johnson says fans shouldn't see parallels, as too much has changed since 2010.
"We have a second half to play now for the next two weeks, where it gets into a more political process," Johnson told a Fox Sports panel. "2010 was a difficult time for Australian football."
"FFA is a different organisation today. We've had a very sharp focus on transforming from a local organisation to a local but global organisation. It's important that we're global because we're part of the world's most popular sport.
"Getting this balance correct will place us in a better strategic position than 2010, when we were a little disconnected from global football.
"FIFA have also changed. They went through a transforming process in 2016, they have a new constitution and a new president. I saw these changes first hand because I was part of that management team until about 15 months ago.
"One concrete measure they've put in place since 2015 is a change in the bidding process. There's a report that's been published, so we know where FIFA score the reports. We know where we're strong, we know where the others are weak.
"The votes of the FIFA council members will be published. We'll know who votes for who, you will know who voted for who. The process is far more transparent."
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