October 09, (THEWILL) – Saudi Arabia has formally submitted a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup after football’s governing body FIFA confirmed that only Asian and Oceanian countries can bid for the event. FIFA set a deadline of October 31 for interested countries to register, making it difficult for others to gather government support in time.
A joint bid from Spain, Portugal and Morocco is the sole candidate to host the 2030 tournament and is almost certain to be approved in 2024. This leaves Saudi Arabia with a clear path to win the hosting rights for 2034, amid criticism that FIFA is fast-tracking the process in their favour.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation described the bid as an “invitation to the world to witness Saudi Arabia’s development, experience its culture and become part of its history”. The country is committed to presenting a “competitive bid that will unite the world through football,” the Federation assured.
Previously, FIFA’s Council elected World Cup hosts but this power was handed to the Congress after corruption scandals. In 2034, the Congress will again formally choose the host country, although with only one bid expected, Saudi Arabia’s path seems clear.
If successful, Saudi Arabia will face criticism about sportswashing and human rights. The tournament may also be held in November/December to avoid summer heat as occurred in Qatar. The Saudis have invested heavily in football recently, attracting top players to their clubs. The country will host the 2027 Asian Cup and 2034 Asian Games.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
