Saudi Arabia is on the brink of hosting the 2034 World Cup after competing bidder Australia dropped its candidacy to host the global event, marking another milestone in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to develop sports as a contributor to its economic diversification goals.
Australia has decided not to bid for the tournament, according to a statement from its football authority on Tuesday, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia’s bid. A successful bid for Saudi Arabia would return the sporting event to the Gulf region after Qatar hosted the event successfully in 2022.
Qatar held the event in stadiums across the country during the winter months due to extreme heat. Saudi Arabia’s plans regarding the tournament’s timing remain uncertain, according to Bloomberg. As that report adds, “unlike Qatar, which had to start planning and building stadiums from scratch, Saudi Arabia already has plans in place to build several new stadiums as it was selected to host the AFC football Asian cup in 2027. The country will need to have at least 14 stadiums with a capacity exceeding 40,000 seats. So far it only has two matching this criteria.”
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino confirmed on Instagram that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after what he described as “constructive dialogue and extensive consultation.”
The Kingdom “intends to deliver a world-class tournament and will draw inspiration from Saudi Arabia’s ongoing social and economic transformation,” according to state media.
