Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup a ‘done deal’ after FIFA decide to give 2030 edition to six nations across three separate continents
- Sources reveal 2034 World Cup almost confirmed for Saudi Arabia to host
- FIFA announced last week that three nations will host an opening match in 2030
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It Kicks It All Off’
There was intense speculation last week that FIFA’s decision to hand over hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup to six nations across three continents will effectively mean the 2034 event will be a no-brainer for Saudi Arabia to host.
Now sources close to the corridors of power have told MailSport: ‘A Saudi World Cup in 2034 is not only likely, it’s basically a foregone conclusion. Money has spoken again, and the event will be worth billions in new cash for FIFA.’
In a surprise move last Wednesday, FIFA announced that Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one of three opening matches in the 2030 World Cup, 100 years after Uruguay hosted the first World Cup. And then Spain, Portugal and Morocco will share the other 101 matches of a 104-match, 48-team tournament between them.
FIFA has been criticized by environmentalists for the carbon footprint this arrangement will bring. But most of the tournament will be played in a relatively small geographic area of South West Europe and North West Africa, in a time zone relatively convenient for much of the world.
The country probably most upset by these developments is Australia, as FIFA has also announced that the 2034 World Cup will be open to bidders from Asia and Oceania only. And just as they were announcing it, Saudi Arabia confirmed they would bid for 2034. What a coincidence!
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is said to be close to Saudi Arabia’s ruler Mohammed bin Salman
The crown prince oversaw investments in the sports industry on an enormous scale
And Sheik Salman of Bahrain, the most powerful man in Asian football, then declared: ‘The entire Asian football family will stand united in support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s important initiative, and we are committed to working closely together with the global football family to ensure its success.’
This greatly annoyed Australia, which is now part of the Asian confederation. They want to stage 2034 after hosting a brilliant 2023 Women’s World Cup. But Saudi Arabia will get most of Asia’s 47 votes and all of Africa’s 54 votes.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is close to Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman, and is no doubt looking forward to millions of dollars of Saudi money pouring into FIFA’s coffers in sponsorship deals in the coming years.