Saudi Arabia, Sole Candidate for 2034 World Cup... Hosting Virtually Confirmed

Remaining as the Sole Candidate After Australia and Indonesia Withdraw
Official Announcement Expected After the Deadline on the 30th of This Month

Saudi Arabia has become the sole remaining candidate country among the bidders for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, effectively securing the hosting rights. An official announcement is expected after the candidate registration deadline on the 30th of this month.

According to The Guardian and other sources, FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained the host countries and hosting formats for the 2026, 2030, and 2034 tournaments on his social media platform Instagram on the 31st of last month (local time), stating that "the World Cup will be held in Asia in 2034."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Although President Infantino mentioned only the continent instead of the country name, his statement effectively confirmed the host as Saudi Arabia, which was the sole remaining candidate.

Infantino added, "After constructive dialogue and extensive consultations, the FIFA Council, which includes all six continental confederations, decided the host countries for the three tournaments."

Initially, the bidding for the 2034 World Cup was expected to be a two-way contest between Saudi Arabia and the joint bid from Australia and Indonesia. However, on the 18th of last month, Indonesia declared its support for Saudi Arabia, and Australia announced the day before that it would not pursue hosting the tournament.

The candidate locations for the 2034 tournament had been narrowed down to Oceania and Asia in accordance with regional rotation practices. The 2026 tournament will be held in North and Central America, while the 2030 tournament will take place in Africa and Europe (jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal). Some matches in 2030 will also be held in South America.

FIFA is expected to officially announce Saudi Arabia as the host country after the submission deadline for hosting intention letters on the 30th of this month. Similar to last year's Qatar World Cup, the Saudi tournament is likely to be held in November to December to avoid the intense heat of the Middle Eastern summer.

Infantino stated, "With five continents and ten countries participating in the opening ceremonies across the three tournaments, football will truly become a global sport," adding, "Football is a sport that unites the world more than any other." He continued, "In an increasingly divided and aggressive world, football, as a global sport, demonstrates unparalleled unity. The World Cup offers a special opportunity to exert a positive influence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.