Saudi Arabia to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup; Six-Country Bid to Host 2030 World Cup Approved

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup while a six-country, three-continent bid to host the 2030 World Cup was also approved on Wednesday by acclimation rather than an actual vote during an online meeting organized by FIFA in Zurich.

Having two editions of one of the world’s largest sporting events approved by acclimation rather than a vote was the latest in a series of machinations by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ensure the 2034 tournament would be headed to Saudi Arabia in the face of considerable debate.

In the days leading to the FIFA meeting, The Norwegian Football Federation announced it would vote against the bid and the bidding process for 2034 has gone against principles of “accountability, transparency, and objectivity.”

Human rights groups contacted by The Guardian said the 2034 World Cup heading to Saudi Arabia would bring “severe and widespread rights violations.” FIFA awarded the Saudi Arabia bid a score of 4.2 out of 5, the highest ever recorded in evaluating a World Cup candidacy, when it published its evaluation, describing the possibility of human rights violations as “medium” risk.

Saudi Arabia has a massive construction plan for stadiums, hotels and transport that would rely heavily on migrant labor. The same was the case leading to Qatar hosting the 2022 tournament. FIFA and Qatar both were criticized heavily around the world for the abuse endured by many migrant workers in the lead‑up to the 2022 tournament; even a FIFA-appointed panel later agreed workers in Qatar deserved remedy for the conditions they experienced.

Switzerland’s soccer federation said Tuesday it noted “some vagueness on certain points” of the Saudi strategy to protect rights and freedoms. The Guardian also reported the English FA was unsure if it would register dissent during the Wednesday meeting; in Qatar in 2022, England captain Harry Kane planned to wear a rainbow armband as a show of solidarity with human rights and LGBTQ+ equality supporters before plans were changed, The Guardian said, “in the face of FIFA pressure.”

Saudi Arabia plans to stage the 2034 tournament in 15 stadiums — eight still exist only on paper — in five cities. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh.

The decision by FIFA to have Saudi Arabia host the 2034 World Cup potentially puts it in a scheduling conflict with the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City — although that risk was downplayed last week by the International Olympic Committee.

Playing a World Cup in January 2022 was not an option when Qatar needed to find cooler months and the IOC made it clear that January was too close to the 2022 Games in Beijing. The 2022 World Cup was instead played in November and December that year.

The 48-team, 104-game World Cup format takes 38 days to play. The IOC and Salt Lake aim to have the 2034 Games Opening Ceremony on February 10; while climate-wise the 2034 World Cup could be played in November and December, like it was in 2022 in Qatar, that period in 2034 includes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and Riyadh hosting the Asian Games.

2030 Clears Way for Saudi Arabia

One of the keys for ensuring Saudi Arabia will host in 2034 is FIFA’s setup for the 2030 World Cup. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one game before the rest of the tournament heads to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Spain previously hosted the World Cup in 1982 while Morocco’s role will make it the second African country to host World Cup matches after South Africa in 2010. It will be the first time World Cup matches are held in Portugal.

The world’s biggest soccer venue, the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, is among 24 stadiums offered including 11 in Spain, three in Portugal and six in Morocco. Morocco wants to host the July 21 final. Spain offers the home stadiums of Barcelona and Real Madrid as potential host venues for a final.

The longest World Cup should start with the three games in South America on June 8–9. The tournament would resume on June 13. Notable figures that have endorsed the bid include Portugal star Luis Figo and Spanish midfield legend Andres Iniesta. FIFA, which has in recent years tried to project its caring about sustainability, admitted the setup for the six-country World Cup risked “a significant negative impact on the climate.”

The combined bid to host in 2030 was one that evolved over time and included several permutations. Morocco bid to host the 2026 World Cup but lost to the North American bid of the United States, Mexico and Canada; Spain and Morocco have long worked on a co-hosting bid that at one point included Ukraine.

After Ukraine dropped out, Portugal joined the bid. Infantino announced — out of the blue and to the shock of most of the soccer world — in October 2023 that the three-country bid would be joined by Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. A lure of the project is being able to open in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, where the Centenario Stadium hosted the inaugural 1930 World Cup final.

There was another larger motivation, however. Under FIFA statues, having three confederations host in 2034 allowed only Asia and Oceania as confederations that would be eligible to put forward a host in 2034. FIFA then announced potential candidates had only 25 days to register interest — a process that traditionally would take months if not a year-plus. Saudi Arabia’s intent to host was announced within hours of FIFA’s decision as Infantino’s plan worked exactly how he wanted.