Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the 2034 World Cup finals, News About Nigeria reports.
This is according to an official statement by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday.
“Football unites the world like no other sport; the World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion. This is going to be our mission again. Different cultures can be together,” stated Infantino.
The FIFA Council approved the start of the bidding process for the FIFA World Cup 2034 on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, limiting it to the member associations of the Confederations of the AFC and OFC.
This meant that hosting the FIFA World Cup was made available to every eligible confederation over an eight-year period, specifically Concacaf in 2026, CAF, CONMEBOL, and UEFA in 2030, and AFC and OFC in 2034.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) submitted a letter of intent (LOI) and signed a declaration to FIFA on Monday, October 9, to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The country first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on Wednesday, October 4, and the letter of intent signed by SAFF President Yasser Al Misehal officially confirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to embark on the bid process set out by FIFA.
It was gathered that Saudi Arabia’s bid is a historic first and reflects the nation’s aims to unlock new football opportunities at all levels and its commitment to support the growth of the game across all corners of the globe.
Yasser Al Misehal, President of SAFF, reflected on the milestone: “This is the second step of a hugely exciting journey that the nation is embarking on. Last week, we announced our ambitions to host the 2034 FIFA World CupTM, and this official submission continues our journey to make the dreams of our people a reality. The 2034 FIFA World Cup is our invitation to the world to witness Saudi Arabia’s development, experience its culture, and become part of its history. We are extremely committed to presenting the most competitive bid possible that will also help unite the world through football.”
Less than 72 hours after SAFF declared its intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup, over 70 FIFA Member Associations from across different continents publicly pledged their support for the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia, a renowned host for some of the biggest global sports events since 2018, has been home to over 50 international events for both male and female athletes, including football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian, esports, and golf.
