With no competing bids Saudi Arabia on course to host 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia looks set to be the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup after the announcement yesterday from Football Australia - the only other country to have shown an interest in hosting the tournament - that it was not submitting a bid.

With the deadline for bids falling at 5pm (Central European Time) yesterday, and FIFA having confirmed that the only declaration of interest it has received for the 2034 tournament is from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the Middle Eastern country is on track to host FIFA’s major tournament in 11 years.

Indonesia’s football association had previously said that it would be open to a joint bid with Australia for the 2034 World Cup, but over recent days it had moved to back Saudi Arabia’s proposal.

Only countries in Oceania and Asia were eligible to bid for the 2034 World Cup after FIFA confirmed last month that the 2030 tournament will be played in six countries spanning three continents.

FIFA has relaxed its World Cup bidding rules regarding existing stadiums in a move likely to assist Saudi Arabia’s hopes of staging the 2034 tournament, lowering the number of existing stadiums required from seven to four.

Saudi Arabia currently has four large stadiums under construction or being upgraded ahead of its hosting of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, with the country’s largest, the 58,000 capacity King Fahd Stadium in the capital of Riyadh, currently being expanded to 80,000 capacity.

Becoming the second Middle Eastern country to ever host the World Cup, after Qatar did so in 2022, a tournament in Saudi Arabia would again see its staging in the Northern Hemisphere winter, disrupting the major European leagues and competitions.

The men’s FIFA World Cup will expand to a 48-team tournament in 2026, when the USA, Canada and Mexico will co-host.

Images: The 58,000 King Fahd Stadium in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, the country's largest stadium (top, credit: Shutterstock and below, credit: Wikimedia Commons/على المزارقهر).