The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been formally announced as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. This decision was made official during a virtual gathering of FIFA’s Congress, where the Saudi bid was unanimously approved.
In addition to Saudi Arabia’s hosting confirmation, the same meeting also ratified the joint hosting bid of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Notably, the 2030 tournament will feature a unique twist, with the opening three matches being held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. This move is aimed at commemorating the World Cup’s centenary year, marking a century since the inaugural tournament was held in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting confirmation was largely a formality, given that the kingdom was the sole bidder for the 2034 edition. The bidding process, which commenced in October 2023, allowed countries a mere month to express their interest. Australia, initially considered a potential candidate, ultimately decided against entering the bidding process, leaving Saudi Arabia as the unopposed host.
FIFA’s rotational hosting policy played a significant role in determining the eligible bidders for the 2034 edition. As per this policy, only countries from the Asian and Oceanian confederations were eligible to bid, given that the 2030 tournament will be hosted across three continents – Europe, Africa, and South America – and the 2026 edition will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA, thereby ruling out North and Central America.
The publication of FIFA’s evaluation report last month further solidified Saudi Arabia’s position as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. With this confirmations, the kingdom can now begin making preparations to host the prestigious tournament.
