- Saudi Arabia want to host the 2034 World Cup
- Made public announcement through its official agency
- FIFA would accept bids only from AFC and OFC MAs
WHAT HAPPENED? The Middle Eastern nation earlier had the ambition to jointly host the 2030 World Cup along with Egypt and Greece. But FIFA has elaborate plans for the centenary edition and it announced that the tournament will be hosted primarily by Portugal, Spain and Morocco, with a match each in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina to spread its footprints across three continents.
However, FIFA has also mentioned that bids for the 2034 World Cup can be submitted only by member associations from AFC and OFC, which should give a smooth passage to Saudi Arabia to get the hosting rights.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Saudi Pro League has attracted several star players in the two previous transfer windows which include the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema and others to revolutionise the football structure of the country and establish itself as one of the formidable forces in international football.
Moreover, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has set an ambitious target to project the country as the pinnacle of sports tourism and business hub through Vision 2030, and hosting the World Cup will be the cherry on the cake.
WHAT THEY SAID?: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation. As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey," said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport, Saudi Arabia.
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GOAL AR
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WHAT NEXT? Saudi Arabia is set to host a slew of important footballing events in the near future which include the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup.