While FIFA doesn't genrally disclose who has shown interest in hosting a World Cup, at an FFA media briefing last week, Nikou believed there would be four other bids.

On March 16, the deadline passed for football associations around the world to put in their expressions of interest to host the 2023 World Cup before FIFA dispatched documents to interested associations on Monday, which tells nations what is required of them to host the event.  

While this is expected to narrow down which nations will do on to officially submit bids, Australia is set to have tough competition to win hosting rights. 

Japan has formally submitted an expression of interest and has previously jointly hosted the 2002 men's edition of the World Cup with South Korea.

South Korea, on the other hand, have also thrown their hat into the ring with a possible joint bid with North Korea which has been encouraged personally by FIFA president Gianni Infantino himself.

It would be a historic moment for the two nations, who have effectively been at war since 1950 as no peace treaty has been signed.

However, General Secretary at the Korea Football Association Hong Myung-bo told The Guardian that the joint bid still needs to be discussed with the government.

“This issue of making a joint bid with North Korea needs to be discussed with the government but we have not received a definitive answer yet from the government."

The North Korea and South Korea Olympic teams enter together under the Korean Unification Flag during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

FFA also expected South Africa and Colombia to launch formal bids. However, over recent months Colombia Football Federation has seen allegations of bullying, blackmail, harassment and sexual assault within its women's football program.