Attention is already turning to Japan’s bid to host the tournament in 2022, and the Japan Football Association recently announced that star player Keisuke Honda will join teammates Makoto Hasebe and Shunsuke Nakamura as an ‘ambassador’ for the bid.

Japan has just five months left to press its case, as FIFA’s decision on which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is due on December 2nd.

The bidding system is complicated, with some countries trying for both tournaments to double their chances. Japan faces competition from England, Russia, the U.S., Australia, Qatar and South Korea for the right to host the tournament in 2022, in addition to joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands, and Portugal and Spain.

With Sony Corp. having touted its 3D TV technology for the South Africa World Cup, Japan plans to amp up the tech angle for 2022. The JFA is promising “8k definition cameras” and “high-sensitivity omni-microphones” at the stadiums to enhance the soccer viewing experience, as well as a “real-time automatic translation system” whereby spectators “will experience seamless communication in and around the stadiums and will not be hampered by language barriers”.

See: The Wall Street Journal