News
Saudi Arabia Hosting 2034 World Cup – Infantino
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has officially announced what was expected: Saudi Arabia will be the host of the 2034 World Cup. This decision comes after Spain, Portugal, and Morocco secured the hosting rights for the 2030 edition, following the withdrawal of the Australian bid. Saudi Arabia will be the second consecutive host in the Middle East, as Qatar hosted the tournament in the winter of 2022.
“The greatest show on earth will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA in 2026, Morocco, Spain and Portugal in 2030 and Saudi Arabia in 2034,” according to what he posted on his social media, next to a photo with the World Cup.
“The bidding processes were approved by consensus through the FIFA Council, where all six confederations are represented, after constructive dialogue and extensive consultation.
“Football unites the world like no other sport, and the FIFA World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion, as well as providing an important illustration of how different cultures can stand together and learn and understand each other better.
“As we live in an increasingly divided and aggressive world, we show once again that soccer, the world’s leading sport, unites like nothing else. We all need these occasions of unity and the upcoming FIFA World Cups provide a unique force for good in this regard.”
Initially, FIFA had reservations about the level of soccer’s popularity in Saudi Arabia and whether it could be sustained until 2034. However, it seems that these concerns have been alleviated.
