Saudi Arabia Set to Host 2034 World Cup as Australia Opts Out
In a surprising turn of events, Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 men's World Cup as Australia has decided against bidding to stage the tournament.
Football Australia confirmed this decision just hours before FIFA's deadline for declarations of interest on Tuesday. They explained their stance, stating, "Having taken all factors into consideration, we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition…. Football Australia is ambitious to bring more major tournaments to our shores…. We believe we are in a strong position to host the Women's Asian Cup in 2026 and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup."
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while Morocco, Portugal, and Spain are set to host the 2030 tournament, with matches also being played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The 2034 World Cup is set to take place in Asia or Oceania.
Saudi Arabia has a history of hosting major sporting events, including football, Formula 1, golf, and boxing since 2018. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia's sports minister, expressed enthusiasm about the World Cup bid, referring to it as "an important and natural step in our journey as a country passionate about football."
However, Saudi Arabia's pursuit of high-profile sporting events has also drawn scrutiny, with allegations of using such events to improve its international reputation through a process known as sportswashing. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman even acknowledged this, saying, "If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing."
If successful, the Saudi World Cup bid is likely to be highly controversial due to concerns over the country's human rights record. Additionally, it would probably result in another winter tournament, similar to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, due to the extreme heat during the region's summer.
While the decision by Australia not to bid has left Saudi Arabia as the frontrunner, concerns over human rights and the hosting of the 2034 World Cup will undoubtedly remain in the spotlight.
