Saudi Arabia Formally Proposes Hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup,Aiming for Victory
g ENEVA (AP) — Saudi Arabia formally informed FIFA of its wish to host the men’s World Cup in 2034 on Monday in a bidding contest that increasingly looks designed for the kingdom to win.
The Saudi Arabian football federation has announced that it has "officially submitted a letter of intent and a signed declaration to FIFA for bidding." The voting process for hosting the event is restricted to members of the Asian and Oceania soccer governing bodies.
FIFA expedited the commencement of the 2034 bidding process last week following its decision to allow only one candidate for the 2030 World Cup. This marks an unprecedented development, with a six-nation, three-continent co-hosting arrangement spanning Europe, Africa, and South America for the 2030 event, effectively excluding those continents from bidding for consecutive tournaments.
The collaborative effort between Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay for the 2030 World Cup follows the inaugural 48-team, 104-game tournament in 2026, which was held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This arrangement sets the stage for the 2034 edition to make its way back to Asia, marking a return to the continent 12 years after Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA recently imposed strict deadlines, with October 31 as the last day for expressing formal interest in hosting the tournament and a November 30 deadline for returning a signed bidding agreement that necessitates the endorsement of national governments.
Australian soccer officials have expressed their interest in hosting the 2034 World Cup, particularly after their successful co-hosting of the 32-team women's edition alongside New Zealand a couple of months ago. However, they now face a tight timeline of just eight weeks to prepare a bidding agreement.
One potential challenge for Australia is meeting FIFA's requirement of having seven existing stadiums on a minimum list of 14 soccer-appropriate venues, each with a seating capacity of at least 40,000.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, which is gearing up to host the 2027 Asian Cup, aligns with FIFA's criteria in this regard.
FIFA made an announcement.
FIFA revealed on Thursday, October 5th, that it had reached an agreement to co-host the 2030 World Cup across three different continents: South America, Africa, and Europe.
The tournament's hosting duties will be shared by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with matches also taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. This arrangement guarantees automatic qualification for all six participating nations.
FIFA conveyed in a statement, "In 2030, the FIFA World Cup will bring together three continents and six countries, extending a global invitation to everyone to partake in the celebration of the beautiful game, marking its Centenary and commemorating the FIFA World Cup itself."
FIFA highlighted that the World Cup matches in South America are a tribute to the centenary of the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay. As part of this commemoration, the three South American countries will each host one match. The initial of these three matches is scheduled to occur at the historic Estádio Centenário in Montevideo, the very venue where the first World Cup took place.
Simultaneously, the bidding process for the 2034 World Cup commenced earlier this month. Interested nations have until October 31 to confirm their intent to submit a formal bid proposal.
