Southeast Asian leaders meet FIFA chief amid World Cup bid talks

Gianni Infantino, the current president of FIFA (not in picture), poses with ASEAN leaders at a signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and FIFA, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 2, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Southeast Asian countries signed a deal with soccer's global governing body FIFA on Saturday to jointly boost the sport as its president said he was happy with the region's plan to bid for the 2034 World Cup.

The deal, signed at the summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), aims to boost investment, capacity building and education for the sport in the region, particularly through FIFA's Football for Schools Programme.