Ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia has submitted an official hosting interest letter to the world governing football body with their bid already seen as a ‘done deal’ – after FIFA gave 2030 edition to six countries across three continents.
Saudi Arabia looked to be in pole position after the 2030 hosts were confirmed and their bid is expected to have the backing of federations both in Asia and Africa.
Spain, Morocco, and Portugal will be the main tournament host, but in honour of the special anniversary, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will all host opening matches.
Saudi – whose investment in football and development of their own Pro League over the past 12 months has been astronomical after they were initially tipped to bid for the 2030 World Cup.
That bid involved Greece, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia co-hosting the tournament, but plans were dropped, and Saudi are aiming to be the sole hosts in 2034 although Mail Sport reported that the state’s bid was all but a done deal with the nation moving at pace to secure football’s marquee competition.
“Last week we announced our ambitions to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and this official submission continues our journey to make the dreams of our people a reality,” Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) said in a statement on Monday.
“We are extremely committed to presenting the most competitive bid possible that will also help unite the world through football”.
FIFA are looking to move quickly in deciding the 2034 host: formal interest must be expressed by October 31, and a signed bidding agreement must be tabled by November 30.
FIFA members will then have the opportunity to rubber-stamp the 2030 and 2034 hosts in late 2024.
