Kuala lumpur: Malaysia aspires to host the FIFA World Cup, the world's biggest football tournament, announced Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as the Rural and Regional Development Minister, expressed hopes of seeing Malaysia compete in the prestigious tournament and represent Southeast Asia. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid shared these aspirations while attending a giant-screen viewing of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at Bangi Square 2. He expressed optimism about Malaysia's chances, saying, "God willing, one day we aspire to make Malaysia a host of the World Cup. Hopefully, by then, the Malaysian team will be among the World Cup participants representing Southeast Asia." The event, which also featured the Semarak Subuh programme, attracted hundreds of football enthusiasts. Malaysia's national football squad, Harimau Malaya, has moved up to 136th in the latest FIFA world rankings, accumulating 1,086.22 points and climbing t wo places from their previous position. The gathering at Bangi Square 2 included a "Borak Bola" session, where national football legends Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan, Mohd Farizal Marlias, and Mohamad Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak engaged with fans. The session was hosted by Hafizal Hamad. Following the match, Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to join the Semarak Subuh programme at Surau Al-Hamidiah, marking the conclusion of the day's events.