Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup before the deadline, according to soccer’s global governing body.
FIFA had asked countries from Asia and Oceania to apply for the tournament by October 31. Saudi Arabia quickly said they would bid just minutes after FIFA’s announcement on October 4.
Saudi Arabia is almost guaranteed to host the men’s 2034 FIFA World Cup because Australia decided not to compete. FIFA had a deadline on Tuesday for bids, and now Saudi Arabia is the only country in the running.
“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and – having taken all factors into consideration – we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” stated Football Australia (FA).
FIFA still has to officially approve Saudi Arabia as the host, a decision expected next year, but it now seems almost certain that they will win.
🏆 Australia will not bid for the 2034 World Cup, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the tournament.
— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) October 31, 2023
“As established in the Bidding Regulations approved by the FIFA Council, the FIFA administration will conduct thorough bidding and evaluation processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup, with the hosts to be appointed by FIFA Congresses expected to take place by Q4 2024,” FIFA said.
The President of the Saudi Football Association, Yasser Al Misehal, stated that they are wholeheartedly committed to meeting all the FIFA requirements to host the 2030 World Cup, following FIFA’s announcement on October 4, when they revealed that Morocco, Spain, and Portugal had submitted a joint bid to host the tournament.
“All members of the Saudi football family are doing their best to achieve the dream of the Saudis male and females to see the World Cup in the Kingdom for the first time,” he stated on social media platform X.
“We believe in the great power of football to inspire future generations and we hope World Cup 2034 contributes to the development of the game throughout the world.”
FIFA also stated that the only countries expressing interest in hosting the 2030 World Cup are Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host celebratory matches.
On October 4, FIFA declared that Morocco, Spain, and Portugal together would host the 2030 World Cup, pending a successful bidding process.
Saudi Arabia is also set to host the men’s Asian Cup in 2027, and they’ve begun a significant construction project to build and upgrade stadiums, which are likely to be used for the World Cup as well.
Today, we enter the next chapter of Saudi football: intending to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup™ 🏆
— الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم (@saudiFF) October 4, 2023
Our bid is inspired by Saudi Arabia’s transformation journey, the passion of our fans, and a commitment to deliver an amazing tournament.#Saudi2034
Learn more ➡… pic.twitter.com/zmpNt86Ksl
“Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation,” Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal mentioned in a statement.
“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”
