Saudi Arabia is set to host the men’s 2034 World Cup following Australia’s decision to withdraw its bid to host the tournament, as confirmed by Football Australia just hours before Fifa’s deadline for declarations of interest on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia is now the sole nation to place a bid for the event.
In a statement, Football Australia announced, “We have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition.” With this announcement, the path has been cleared for Saudi Arabia to take on the role of host.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in a joint effort by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while the 2030 tournament will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with matches also taking place in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Fifa had previously specified that the 2034 World Cup would be held in Asia or Oceania, making an Australian bid the primary potential challenger to Saudi Arabia. Shortly after Fifa’s decision, Saudi Arabia expressed its intention to bid for the prestigious sporting event.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a host for several major sporting events since 2018, encompassing football, Formula 1, golf, and boxing. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s sports minister, emphasised the significance of this decision, stating, “The World Cup bid constitutes an important and natural step in our journey as a country passionate about football.”
However, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged the controversial practice of “sportswashing” in a recent statement, saying, “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we’ll continue doing sportswashing.”