Saudi Arabia to host 2034 FIFA World Cup

ZURICH: FIFA has officially announced that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. It also announced that the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be the third to take place on the Asian continent. The first FIFA World Cup in Asia was held in 2002, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan. The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. However, considering the centenary of the World Cup, one match each will be held in the South American countries of Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.

Saudi Arabia was the only contender for hosting the 2034 World Cup. Initially, Australia and Indonesia had expressed interest, but they later withdrew. Although the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had expressed interest in hosting a few matches of the 2034 Saudi World Cup in India, this proposal was not accepted by Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Brazil will host the 2027 Women's World Cup.