Saudi Arabia Launches Official Bid to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup

Saudi Arabia has officially launched its campaign to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, aiming to become the second Gulf nation to hold the prestigious tournament. The bid, under the slogan “Growing. Together.”, was formally submitted after being announced in October 2023.

Saudi Arabia wants to have the 2034 FIFA World Cup. They started their campaign on Friday. They are very likely to win because no one else applied before the deadline. Saudi Arabia would be the second country from the Gulf region to host the big football event after Qatar in 2022. Their campaign slogan is “Growing. Together.” They want to show the world the passion and diversity of soccer in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is in charge of the bid. They aim to make the 32 million people in Saudi Arabia proud. Saudi Arabia has been investing a lot in sports. They recently partnered with the ATP, the governing body of men’s tennis. They’ve also been investing in golf and football. They’ve attracted big-name players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

Some people criticize Saudi Arabia for using sports to distract from their human rights record. But Saudi officials say they’re just telling their football story to the world. “Telling our football story to the world is of massive importance,” SAFF President Yasser Al Misehal said in a statement. “We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game, and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey.”

Saudi Arabia first thought about bidding for the 2030 FIFA World Cup but decided to go for 2034 instead. They have support from countries like Indonesia and Australia.

With strong financial backing and a clear vision, Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup has garnered significant attention. The coming months will be crucial as FIFA assesses the proposal and paves the way for the next chapter in World Cup history.

Now, they need to submit all their plans to FIFA by July. The final decision on who will host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups will be made later this year at a FIFA meeting. The next World Cup will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026.