Saudi Arabia Momentum to Host the 2034 World Cup Soccer
“Saudi Arabia’s Momentum to Host the 2034 World Cup Soccer…Possibility of Becoming a Sole Candidate”
Advantageous position for hosting on other continents by 2030... “Secure the stadium”
Oil money will influence the international sports world... Australia"s competitiveness in hosting is uncertain
There are growing expectations that Saudi Arabia, which has emerged as a major player in the global sports world with its enormous oil money, will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
The host site for the 2030 World Cup has just been selected, and the bid to host the 2034 World Cup has not yet begun, but the possibility of Saudi Arabia hosting it alone is already being predicted.
The Associated Press predicted on the 5th (local time) that Saudi Arabia has become the preferred candidate to host the 2034 World Cup and has the possibility of hosting it alone.
The British daily Financial Times (FT) assessed that Saudi Arabia is quickly gaining momentum in the World Cup bid.
Saudi Arabia has an advantage because the World Cup is scheduled to be held on another continent before 2034, so the candidate sites have been narrowed to Asia and Oceania.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in North America (jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada).
The host cities for the 2030 World Cup were decided on the 4th on three continents, including Africa, Europe, and South America (co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal).
Saudi Arabia, which entered into a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup with Egypt and Greece but withdrew after being pushed out of the competition, is seizing an opportunity for a comeback.
Saudi Arabia, a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), announced on the 4th that it would seek to host the 2034 World Cup on its own.
It is also beneficial for Saudi Arabia that FIFA is hastening the process of selecting the host site for the 2034 World Cup.
In the Asia-Oceania region, Australia is also showing interest, but it is unclear whether it will become a rival to Saudi Arabia.
James Johnson, president of the Australian Football Federation, said, "We are looking into the possibility of hosting the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2034 World Cup."
FIFA ordered countries interested in hosting the 2034 World Cup to announce their intention by the end of this month and submit the documents necessary for qualification evaluation by November 30.
The facility requirements for playing games here are important.
To host the 2034 World Cup, there must be at least 14 stadiums with at least 40,000 seats to host the group stage.
At least 7 of these must be existing stadiums.
Saudi Arabia, which is preparing to host the 2027 Asian Cup soccer match, is meeting this requirement.
At least seven stadiums have already been built and the rest are under construction.
On the other hand, questions are being raised as to whether Australia has 7 existing stadiums that meet the requirements.
Although Saudi Arabia"s heat is a variable, there are speculations that it could be held in November or December with approval from FIFA member countries, following the precedent set by the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Khalifa gave his support to Saudi Arabia, saying, “The Asian soccer community will unite in support of Saudi Arabia.”
He is a member of the Bahrain royal family, and Bahrain is an ally of Saudi Arabia.
The fact that FIFA President Gianni Infantino is close to Saudi Arabia"s powerful figure, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is also a factor supporting Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is rapidly increasing its influence in the international sports world by investing a large amount of money in domestic professional soccer and bringing in world-class players.