Saudi Arabia is already working on a way to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Following the vast investment into the domestic game via the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the nation are now focusing on the World Cup bid.
According to a report by The Times, the Middle Eastern nation is currently attempting to gain support around Europe. Senior Saudi officials are even discussing the move with their European counterparts.
An official decision by FIFA regarding a host for the 2034 World Cup will come in 2027. Having said that, it seems as if Saudi Arabia is getting a head start on getting the ball rolling.
The country had previously been interested in co-hosting the 2030 tournament. This was technically not allowed as fellow Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nation Qatar just hosted the 2022 competition.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, however, was supposedly willing to bend the rules to potentially allow the move. Nevertheless, Saudi’s joint bid with Egypt and Greece has since fallen through. A partnership between Spain, Portugal, and Morocco now looks to be the frontrunner to host the 2030 World Cup.
Saudis pushing for tournament after spending huge in domestic league
Saudi’s potential move for the 2034 tournament is far from surprising. The country clearly wants to host FIFA’s major competition and is also spending incredible amounts of money to bring stars to the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kante have all made moves to the Middle Eastern division in recent months.
A recent report by the Financial Times claims that Saudi clubs have collectively spent about $869 million on new players this summer. The league’s transfer window is yet to close. Saudi Pro League teams can still purchase players up until September 7th.
Tournament would face similar problems as Qatar World Cup
Saudi potentially hosting the World Cup would face similar issues as the recent tournament in Qatar. Holding the competition in the intense heat of the summer months could become dangerous.
While the Qatar tournament took place in the winter, Saudi Arabia reportedly believes that they can pull off a summer tournament. Other similar issues faced during the 2022 World Cup, such as human rights concerns, would also be a problem as well.
The Middle Eastern nation aren’t the only country looking to host the 2034 World Cup. China, India, Australia/New Zealand, and Nigeria will work on their own bids.
