Saudi Arabia announced this Wednesday that it is a candidate to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. This position was made public on the same day it became known that Portugal, Spain and Morocco would host it in 2030.
The Saudis were quick to respond to FIFA, which at a meeting of the organization’s council confirmed the principle of continental rotation, which means that 2034 will once again become a fundamental year for the Asian organization.
In a statement, the Saudi Football Federation said it “plans to host a world-class tournament and will be inspired by the social and economic transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia and the passion for football that is deeply rooted in the country.”
The expected announcement comes a year after the World Cup was held in neighboring Qatar, which attracted attention because it was the first to be hosted in the Middle East.
In Qatar, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 in the group stage before the South Americans clinched the title.
After the last World Cup, Saudi football was hit by a wave of “million dollar” signings, starting with Cristiano Ronaldo, who paved the way for the arrival of other absolute stars such as the Frenchman Karim Benzema and the Brazilian Neymar.
Saudi Arabia’s football policy has been accused of “sports laundering” – helping the ultra-conservative kingdom divert international attention away from human rights abuses.
Sport in general, with football at the center, is seen as the axis of the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who intends to transform the kingdom into a land of business and tourism, thereby reducing its dependence on oil revenues.
Saudi Arabia will already host several major sporting events such as the Club World Cup. In August, the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund announced the creation of an investment company to “accelerate the growth of the sports sector” and manage “global events.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal

I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.