Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced during FIFA’s extraordinary general assembly meeting, held virtually.
Saudi Arabia will become the first country in history to solely host the largest edition of the World Cup, featuring 48 national teams competing across five cities. This follows FIFA’s earlier approval of the expanded tournament format.
The kingdom formally submitted its bid for the tournament in July under the slogan " Growing. Together" outlining ambitious plans to host matches across 15 stadiums in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and NEOM, with an additional 10 hosting sites across the country. Saudi Arabia was the only country that bid for the 2034 World Cup.
Following the announcement, Saudi Arabia promised to deliver “a tournament of a lifetime”. The kingdom will bring more teams and more fans meeting in one place than ever before when it welcomes 48 nations to compete across its five proposed host cities 10 years from now.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “This is a historic moment for Saudi Arabia and a dream come true for all our 32 million people who simply love the game. The kingdom is on a remarkable journey of transformation under Vision 2030 and today is another huge step forward that reflects and celebrates our progress while looking ahead to an even brighter future.
“Already we look forward to welcoming the world, to sharing our beautiful country, our culture and our deep passion for the game with open arms and warm hearts. We look forward to delivering a FIFA World Cup 2034™ that creates new opportunities for all."
All 211 FIFA Member Associations convened virtually at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress where Morocco, Portugal and Spain were appointed as the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2030™, with three centenary celebration matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay (one in each country).
The appointment by acclamation of the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup™ concludes a thorough bidding process initiated in October 2023.
Addressing the Extraordinary FIFA Congress ahead of the designation of the respective hosts, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “In today’s divided world, where it seems that nobody can agree any more on anything, to be able to agree on something like that is definitely an incredible message of unity and positivity. And, we need these messages today.”
Following the decision on the appointment of the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup, President Infantino added: “The FIFA World Cup is unique, and it is a unique catalyst as well for positive social change and unity because these tournaments, 2030, the celebration, 2034 – they are tournaments to unite, not to divide. They are tournaments, of course, to discuss, to debate and to act. But most importantly, today, today is a day of unity and a day of celebration.
“Seven countries have won their World Cup today. Congratulations to Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Saudi Arabia. This is your day. So, you should celebrate and we, we celebrate, of course, with you. And you, the 211 FIFA Member Associations that I can see on a giant screen in front of me, you are uniting the world. You are uniting the world truly, through football, because, of course, football unites the world.”
Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) President Yasser Al Misehal said: “Football lives in our hearts so to host a FIFA World Cup is the ultimate honour and we have been working towards this for a very long time. We welcome the responsibility and opportunity to help grow the game globally for all and make a positive contribution on the world stage. We have taken huge strides in men’s and women’s football and across all of society and the FIFA World Cup 2034 is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey ahead. We promise to put on a tournament of a lifetime that leaves a lasting positive impact for the future of football, for players, and for fans.”
The centerpiece of the Saudi World Cup venues will be the new King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh, that will host the opening match as well as the FIFA World Cup Final and will become home to the Saudi National Football Team.
Ten FIFA Fan Festival sites are proposed, including one at King Salman Park in Riyadh, built over 100,000 sq m, and another planned along the iconic Jeddah Waterfront.
The compact tournament concept will enable an exceptional experience for players, fans, and officials alike, with outstanding facilities and accommodation to suit every budget – all with short travel times via well-connected transport links. There is less than a two-hour average flight time between the five host cities and visitors to the Kingdom will also benefit from a seamless immigration process, reports said.
Fans will have the chance to explore some of the Kingdom’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as appreciate distinctive architecture, delicious food, a vibrant art scene, live music events, and ‘hafawah’ – warm Saudi hospitality.
Having hosted more than 150 international sports events in recent years, including the FIFA Club World Cup™ in 2023 and the annual Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is gaining a reputation as a world-leading sports hub, with an extensive national infrastructure already in place.
The FIFA World Cup 2034 is expected to further boost the burgeoning Saudi tourism industry which has grown exponentially over the past eight years. The number of domestic and international tourists reached over 100 million in 2023, and tourism and entertainment sectors continue to develop at pace across many of its diverse destinations, including NEOM, Qiddiya, the Red Sea, and Diriyah.
