Saudi Arabia to host FIFA World Cup 2034: When and where will it be staged?

Football’s world governing body, FIFA, confirmed Saudi Arabia as the host country for the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday.

With the tournament still a decade away, here is all to know about the 2034 edition of largest sporting event on the planet.

Was Saudi Arabia being awarded the FIFA World Cup 2034 a surprise?

No. For the 2034 World Cup bid process, FIFA invoked its principle of continental rotation, therefore welcoming only bids from Asia or Oceania.

Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month late last year to submit candidacies, and rival host nation Australia quickly abandoned their interest, citing a lack of time to make a submission for the tournament.

That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate since October 2023, clearing the way for the World Cup to be awarded to the Middle East country.

Why did Saudi Arabia bid for the World Cup?

Securing the 2034 FIFA World Cup was a central part of the kingdom’s “Vision 2030” economic strategy, spearheaded by the de facto ruler Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Vision 2030 has three primary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation; the staging of a World Cup inside Saudi Arabia greatly accelerates the realisation of all three.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has allowed the country to rapidly grow its influence in the global sporting sector, resulting in several large-scale professional events already taking place inside the country: LIV Golf Tour, Formula One, Saudi Pro League football, Combat Sports (Boxing and MMA), ATP and WTA Tennis, and the famous Dakar motorsports rally event.

Is Saudi Arabia the first nation to stage a FIFA World Cup in the region?

Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbours Qatar staged the 2022 edition.

How many nations will take part and where will the matches be played?

The FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia will see the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single host country.

Matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and Neom.

What is unique about the 2034 tournament?

Saudi Arabia has submitted plans to build a football stadium set 350 metres (1,150 feet) above ground level in a highly ambitious, vast and futuristic construction project called Neom.

The as-yet-unbuilt city in the northwest of the country will only be accessible via high-speed lifts and driverless vehicles.

When will Saudi Arabia host the World Cup?

FIFA has said the Saudi bid did not nominate specific dates for the World Cup, but they would collaborate with stakeholders to “determine the optimal timing” for the tournament given the country’s hot weather.

Due to Saudi Arabia’s desert climate, the 2034 World Cup is very likely to be pushed to a Northern Hemisphere winter slot – just as FIFA did with the 2022 edition in neighbouring Qatar, which held the event from late-November to mid-December.

How will criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record impact the tournament?

Awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia will make the issue of human rights a major talking point. It is not known if any football nations would boycott the 2034 tournament.

International rights groups have highlighted mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted, with some people handed lengthy jail terms for critical posts on social media.

Saudi Arabia is often accused of “sportswashing” – using sport to divert attention from its rights record.

The country has denied accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

Earlier in December, Human Rights Watch criticised the treatment of migrant workers on construction projects in Saudi Arabia.

The New York-based rights group reported working conditions it said amounted to “forced labour”, even on high-profile megaprojects at the heart of Saudi’s ambitious Vision 2030 economic reform programme.

Despite labour law reforms introduced in 2021, migrant workers said they continue to depend on their employers to change jobs or leave the country, a system that the rights group describes as exploitative.

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