'A football-loving nation' - Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand congratulates Saudi Arabia on successful 2034 World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia has officially been named the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup following an extraordinary congress held by FIFA. The process involved voting for two simultaneous decisions: the multi-nation hosting of the 2030 World Cup by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco (with initial matches in South America) and Saudi Arabia's unopposed bid for the 2034 edition.

Following the announcement, Ferdinand took to social media to applaud Saudi Arabia for their successful bid. The former England international wrote: "Congratulations to Saudi Arabia for achieving the bid to host the 2034 World Cup! This is a football-loving nation & I’m sure my friends in Saudi would have been celebrating last night #Saudi34".

The Football Association (FA) of England and the German FA (DFB) voted in favour of both proposals, while Norway’s football federation abstained from voting altogether. The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place in North America, will precede the tournaments in Europe, Africa, and South America in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting bid aligns with the country’s broader ambitions to position itself as a global sporting hub, having already hosted high-profile events in football, boxing and Formula 1. As well as Ferdinand, his ex-Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo has also backed Saudi Arabia to make the 2034 World Cup the best-ever edition of the competition.