-
Saudi Arabia confirmed as hosts of 2034 World Cup.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after being the only nation to finalize a bid.
Australia earlier said that they would not make a bid to host the event, with FIFA subsequently admitting that Saudi Arabia’s application was the only one on the table.
Infantino has now turned to social media to declare Saudi Arabia as the 2034 hosts.
“The bidding processes were approved by consensus via the FIFA Council – where all six confederations are represented – after constructive dialogue and extensive consultation,” he wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has participated in this positive exchange.
“Football unites the world like no other sport, and the FIFA World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion, as well as providing an important illustration of how different cultures can be together and can learn and better understand one another.
“As we live in an increasingly divided and aggressive world, we show once again that football, the leading global sport, unites like nothing else. We all need these occasions of unity and the upcoming FIFA World Cups provide a unique force for good in this respect.”
North America will host the tournament in 2026, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico splitting hosting responsibilities.
After four years, World Cup fans will likely see the most distinctive hosting in the tournament’s history. The event will be overseen by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, although three championship games will take place in South America. Each of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will get one game.
“Three editions, five continents and ten countries involved in staging matches in the tournament – that’s making football truly global!” Infantino added.