FIFA Set to Confirm Saudi Arabia as Hosts for 2034 World Cup

FIFA is set to officially announce on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, while a joint bid from Morocco, Spain, and Portugal—featuring matches in South America—will secure the 2030 tournament.

The FIFA Congress, which will be held virtually, will vote on the hosting rights for both tournaments. However, both bids are uncontested, with no rival candidates. For 2034, FIFA has invoked its principle of rotating the tournament between continents, welcoming bids only from Asia or Oceania, as the 2026 World Cup will be hosted in North America with 48 teams.

Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole candidate after Australia and Indonesia abandoned their bids within a month of the announcement. This clears the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region, just two years after Qatar hosted the tournament in 2022.

Although Saudi Arabia only has two stadiums with a 40,000-capacity, which falls short of the 14 required, the country has hosted several high-profile events, including Formula One, heavyweight boxing matches, and LIV golf tournaments. The heat during the northern hemisphere summer poses a logistical challenge, potentially leading to a shift in tournament dates, as was done in Qatar in 2022. Additionally, with Ramadan taking place in December that year, it may further complicate scheduling.

Human rights issues may also resurface as a topic of debate, much like when Qatar hosted the tournament.

As for the 2030 World Cup, it will be the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay. The joint bid by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal marks the first time the tournament will span three different continents, with South American nations Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay also involved, though only one game each will be hosted in these countries.

FIFA confirmed over a year ago that the Morocco-Spain-Portugal joint bid was the only contender for 2030. Several previous attempts, including those from South Korea, China, Japan, North Korea, and a UK-Ireland bid, fell through. Additionally, Ukraine, which was initially part of the Iberian bid, was dropped last year in favor of Morocco.

Morocco plans to build the world’s largest stadium, with a 115,000-seat capacity, while Spain will contribute 11 of the 20 proposed venues. The final of the tournament will take place on July 21, 2030, though the exact venue remains undecided.

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