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2034 FIFA World Cup
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2034 FIFA World Cup
The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be the 25th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was formally confirmed as the host nation by FIFA following an uncontested bidding process. It will be the third tournament hosted in Asia, after Korea and Japan in 2002 and Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia will be the second host nation from the Arabian Peninsula in the space of twelve years. It will also be the first time the tournament is hosted by a single nation since 2022.
FIFA restricted the hosting eligibility to Asia or Oceania after it made the decision to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup on three continents (Africa, Europe and South America). Observers characterised this as FIFA bending its own rules to pave the path for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 edition by substantially reducing potential competing host bids. FIFA also unexpectedly sped up the bidding timeline by at least three years, which hindered other potential bidders. According to reporting by The New York Times, FIFA president Gianni Infantino played a key role in bending FIFA's rules and facilitating the selection of Saudi Arabia as host.
Similar to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2034 FIFA World Cup has attracted much controversy from outside observers due to the host location, sportswashing issues and its controversial human rights records.
The bidding process for the 2034 World Cup began on 4 October 2023 and initially used the same requirements as the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later lowered the requirement for the number of existing stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000 from seven to four. Due to FIFA's confederation rotation policy, only member associations from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation were eligible to host. FIFA made the decision to host the 2030 World Cup in three continents (Africa, Europe and South America) and the 2026 World Cup was set to be held in North America, which meant that the 2034 World Cup would necessarily have to be held in Asia or Oceania.
On 31 October 2023, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 World Cup, making it the third time the Asian Football Confederation has or will host the World Cup, after the 2002 tournament, which was hosted in Japan and South Korea, and the 2022 tournament in Qatar. It is also the second time it will be held in the Middle East, after Qatar in 2022.
According to investigative reporting by The New York Times, Infantino played a key role in the selection of Saudi Arabia as host. He engaged in private diplomacy on Saudi Arabia's behalf, as he explored whether Greece would be willing to partner with Saudi Arabia to host the 2030 World Cup. When Spain, Portugal and Morocco announced that they would bid together for the 2030 World Cup, the Saudis considered it unlikely that the bid could be beaten. Thus, the Saudis backed out of bidding for 2030. FIFA subsequently made two moves that The New York Times described as "curious", FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup would be jointly hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, but that the first three matches would be hosted in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay as part of commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay, This decision ruled Europe, Africa and South America out as potential bidders for the 2034 World Cup, and meant that the only potential bidders could be from Asia or Oceania. FIFA also unexpectedly sped up the bidding process for the 2034 World Cup, giving only 25 days for interested nations to express their intent to host. Within minutes, Saudi Arabia announced its intentions to host.
On 11 December 2024, FIFA confirmed that the 2034 World Cup would be hosted by Saudi Arabia. The decision was announced during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting, where the hosts for both the 2030 and 2034 tournaments were finalized following a vote.
The official list of the proposed stadiums was confirmed on 31 July 2024 by the bid book. The tournament is planned to be held in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Neom and Abha, with a total of 15 stadiums (5 of which will be renovated, and 10 of which will be new).
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2034 FIFA World Cup
The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be the 25th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was formally confirmed as the host nation by FIFA following an uncontested bidding process. It will be the third tournament hosted in Asia, after Korea and Japan in 2002 and Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia will be the second host nation from the Arabian Peninsula in the space of twelve years. It will also be the first time the tournament is hosted by a single nation since 2022.
FIFA restricted the hosting eligibility to Asia or Oceania after it made the decision to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup on three continents (Africa, Europe and South America). Observers characterised this as FIFA bending its own rules to pave the path for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 edition by substantially reducing potential competing host bids. FIFA also unexpectedly sped up the bidding timeline by at least three years, which hindered other potential bidders. According to reporting by The New York Times, FIFA president Gianni Infantino played a key role in bending FIFA's rules and facilitating the selection of Saudi Arabia as host.
Similar to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2034 FIFA World Cup has attracted much controversy from outside observers due to the host location, sportswashing issues and its controversial human rights records.
The bidding process for the 2034 World Cup began on 4 October 2023 and initially used the same requirements as the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later lowered the requirement for the number of existing stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000 from seven to four. Due to FIFA's confederation rotation policy, only member associations from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation were eligible to host. FIFA made the decision to host the 2030 World Cup in three continents (Africa, Europe and South America) and the 2026 World Cup was set to be held in North America, which meant that the 2034 World Cup would necessarily have to be held in Asia or Oceania.
On 31 October 2023, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 World Cup, making it the third time the Asian Football Confederation has or will host the World Cup, after the 2002 tournament, which was hosted in Japan and South Korea, and the 2022 tournament in Qatar. It is also the second time it will be held in the Middle East, after Qatar in 2022.
According to investigative reporting by The New York Times, Infantino played a key role in the selection of Saudi Arabia as host. He engaged in private diplomacy on Saudi Arabia's behalf, as he explored whether Greece would be willing to partner with Saudi Arabia to host the 2030 World Cup. When Spain, Portugal and Morocco announced that they would bid together for the 2030 World Cup, the Saudis considered it unlikely that the bid could be beaten. Thus, the Saudis backed out of bidding for 2030. FIFA subsequently made two moves that The New York Times described as "curious", FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup would be jointly hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, but that the first three matches would be hosted in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay as part of commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay, This decision ruled Europe, Africa and South America out as potential bidders for the 2034 World Cup, and meant that the only potential bidders could be from Asia or Oceania. FIFA also unexpectedly sped up the bidding process for the 2034 World Cup, giving only 25 days for interested nations to express their intent to host. Within minutes, Saudi Arabia announced its intentions to host.
On 11 December 2024, FIFA confirmed that the 2034 World Cup would be hosted by Saudi Arabia. The decision was announced during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting, where the hosts for both the 2030 and 2034 tournaments were finalized following a vote.
The official list of the proposed stadiums was confirmed on 31 July 2024 by the bid book. The tournament is planned to be held in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Neom and Abha, with a total of 15 stadiums (5 of which will be renovated, and 10 of which will be new).