RIYADH: The world footballing body, FIFA, officially announced Saudi Arabia as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2034 in men’s soccer.
The Saudi bid was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich on Wednesday by the soccer body’s president Gianni Infantino.
The FIFA Extraordinary Congress meeting, held on Wednesday, also confirmed Morocco, Spain and Portugal as hosts of the 2030 World Cup with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay staging celebratory games.
The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930.
Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament after Qatar staged the tournament in 2022.
The 2034 edition will stage the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single host country.
Matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and Neom.
Riyadh’s King Salman Stadium, with a 92,000 spectator capacity, is expected to be the venue for the opening and final matches.
As well as the World Cup, Saudi Arabia is hosting football’s 2027 Asian Cup, the 2029 Asian Winter Games and the 2034 Asian Games.
It also has long-term ambitions to host more major events, including the Women’s World Cup, according to Sky Sports News.
The 2030 tournament will be led by co-hosts Spain and Portugal in Europe, and Morocco in North Africa. Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will each hold an opening match to mark 100 years since the first World Cup took place in Uruguay and was won by the hosts.
Before both of them, the US, Canada and Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup.
England’s Football Association (FA) supported the plans for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, Sky Sports News reported.
Saudi Arabia first published its bid for the World Cup back in August.
