Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup bid

Last updated
Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup bid
ملف السعودية 2034
Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup bid logo.svg
Bid logo
Location
CountrySaudi Arabia
Cities/towns5
Proposed stadiums15
Sport information
Sport Soccer (football)
Tournament 2034 FIFA World Cup
History
Launched2024

The Saudi Arabia 2034 bid is a bid by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Contents

After Saudi Arabia abandoned its 2030 bid alongside Greece and Egypt, the oil-rich monarchy switched its focus to a solo 2034 bid. Similar strategies to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which was held in November–December as opposed to the usual summer scheduling, may be used to mitigate the country's summer heat, though the Saudi FA have insisted on a plan to host in the summer. [1] The country's bid was announced on 4 October 2023. [2] On 5 October, AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa backed Saudi Arabia's bid. [3] On the 9th, Saudi Arabia announced that it had submitted the official letter of intent, and signed the declaration to FIFA to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and that over 70 different member associations had already pledged their support for its bid. [4] It was ratified by the FIFA Congress on 11 December 2024.

Background

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced his intent to bid within minutes of FIFA announcing the bidding timeline, which was followed by the backing of Asian football leaders within the next hours. After Australia's decision to not bid for the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia became the sole bidder to host the tournament. [5]

Saudi Arabia will be the first country to host the World Cup alone in its 48-team format since it was expanded from 32 teams starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [6]

On 30 November 2024, FIFA released its evaluation report of Saudi Arabia's bid. According to the report, Saudi Arabia was awarded an average score of 4.2 out 5, the highest in history. [7]

Bid process

Major sports events hosting experiences

Proposed venues

Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup bid
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500km
311miles
5
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4
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3
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2
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Location of the proposed host cities in the Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup bid.
1
Riyadh
2
Jeddah
3
Al Khobar
4
NEOM
5
Abha

The official list of the proposed stadiums was confirmed on 31 July 2024. The tournament is planned to be held in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, NEOM and Abha, with a total of 15 stadiums (11 of which will be new). The King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh could host the opening game and final. [8]

List of the proposed host cities and stadiums
CityStadiumCapacity
Riyadh King Salman International Stadium (new)92,760
King Fahad Sports City Stadium (after renovation)70,200
South Riyadh Stadium  [ ar ] (new)47,060
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium (new)46,979
Prince Faisal bin Fahad Sports City Stadium (after renovation)46,865
King Saud University Stadium (after renovation)46,319
New Murabba Stadium (new)46,010
ROSHN Stadium (new)46,000
Jeddah King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (after renovation)58,432
Qiddiya Coast Stadium  [ ar ] (new)46,096
Jeddah Central Development Stadium (new)45,794
King Abdullah Economic City Stadium (new)45,700
Al Khobar Aramco Stadium (new)46,096
NEOM NEOM Stadium (new)46,010
Abha King Khalid University Stadium (new)45,428

Support

Football confederations

References

  1. ↑ "Saudi Arabia switches FIFA World Cup bid from 2030 to 2034". Inside the Games. 1 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Morocco-Spain-Portugal to host 2030 World Cup, Saudi Arabia to bid for 2034". Al Jazeera. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "AFC President welcomes FWC hosting decision, backs SAFF intent to bid for 2034 edition". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Saudi Arabian Football Federation submits official letter of intent to bid for 2034 FIFA World Cup". saff.com.sa. Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Panja, Tariq (2023-10-31). "Saudi Arabia Is Set to Be Sole Bidder for 2034 World Cup". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Dale (2023-03-15). "What the World Cup will look like in 2026: 48 teams, more groups, more venues, more games". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  7. ↑ Roan, Dan (2024-11-30). "2034 World Cup can improve Saudi human rights - Fifa". bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  8. ↑ "The Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 Bid Book" (PDF). 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
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