Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup at an Extraordinary FIFA Congress attended by all 211 FIFA Member Associations.
Morocco, Portugal and Spain will co-host the 2030 World Cup, with three “centenary celebration matches” to be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – one in each country – the governing body added.
The long-expected nomination of Saudi Arabia as 2034 host will represent the second time the World Cup has been held in the Middle East following Qatar in 2022 although it remains a controversial selection given concerns over human rights abuses and accusations of “sports washing” – using high-profile sporting codes and athletes to provide a positive boost to the nation’s image.
In recent years Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has ploughed billions into international sports, including purchasing English Premier League football club Newcastle United and luring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Sadio Mane to play in its domestic Saudi Pro League.
There are also questions over the timing of the 2034 World Cup, which may have to be moved to January and February – smack bang in the middle of domestic seasons globally – to avoid the summer heat, as well as Ramadan which falls in November and December.
Saudi Arabia, for its part, has pledged to build or renovate 11 stadiums and provide 185,000 new hotel rooms.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has been criticized for his eagerness to accept Saudi Arabia’s significant investment given human rights concerns around migrant worker abuse and the rights of minority groups, said “The FIFA World Cup is unique, and it is a unique catalyst as well for positive social change and unity because these tournaments … they are tournaments to unite, not to divide. They are tournaments, of course, to discuss, to debate and to act. But most importantly, today, today is a day of unity and a day of celebration.”
Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr in December 2022 on a monster US$213 million per year deal, said the 2034 World Cup would be “probably be the best World Cup ever,” according to comments provided by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation FIFA World Cup 2034 bid team. “I’m convinced that it will be amazing. The infrastructure, the stadiums, the conditions for the fans, the airports, and everything else, it’s amazing.”
The football World Cup is also considered the single largest betting event globally, particularly in Asia, with hundreds of billions of dollars wagered every four years across both legal and illegal channels.
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