Via Tim Callen, Kristin Smith Diwan and Robert Mogielnicki in agsiw.org: On December 11, FIFA will announce that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. While this will be no surprise given the kingdom is the only bidder, the formal announcement will start the clock ticking on a decade of intense preparations ahead of the big kickoff. The 2034 tournament will be the first held in a single host country under the new expanded 48 team format. The 2026 and 2030 tournaments will also have 48 competing teams, but both will be held across multiple host countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026 and Morocco, Portugal, and Spain in 2030. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. An estimated 5.4 billion television viewers tuned in for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and 3.4 million people attended the matches. Hosting the 2034 World Cup therefore provides Saudi Arabia with a huge opportunity to present itself on the global stage, attract visitors to the country, and showcase the ambitious reforms that it is pursuing under Vision 2030. It will also offer the country a chance to address the criticism it has faced in certain parts of the world for its human rights record and its continued advocacy of fossil fuel usage.