2034 Football World Cup Goes To Saudi Arabia: FIFA's Uncontested Choice Draws Criticism

Global football body FIFA officially announced on Wednesday (11 December) that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 Men's World Cup, marking the kingdom's most significant achievement yet in its ambitious global sports investments spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia's bid faced no competition and was met with applause from over 200 FIFA member federations during an online meeting chaired by FIFA President Gianni Infantino from Zurich.

"The vote of the congress is loud and clear," said Infantino, who had asked officials on a bank of screens to clap their hands at head level to show their support.

FIFA’s decision also included confirming Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as co-hosts for the 2030 World Cup, alongside Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, which will each host one match of the 104-game tournament.

Uruguay’s inclusion commemorates the centenary of the first-ever World Cup, hosted in 1930.

The announcement concludes a 15-month bidding process criticised for its opacity, with Infantino guiding Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid while facing concerns from human rights groups over risks to migrant workers' welfare.

"We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world," Prince Mohammed said in a statement.

FIFA and Saudi authorities claimed the 2034 tournament could drive societal progress, including enhancing freedoms and women’s rights.

Infantino described the event as a "unique catalyst for positive social change and unity."

"I fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process, and deliver a World Cup that meets the world's expectations," the FIFA president said, news agency AP reported.

Saudi Arabia’s win was facilitated by FIFA’s approval of the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup.

This restricted the 2034 bid to Asian and Oceanic federations, leaving less than four weeks to submit bids, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the sole contender.

Saudi Arabia’s selection places its labor laws and treatment of predominantly South Asian workers under a decade of scrutiny as the kingdom prepares 15 stadiums, hotels, and transport networks for the 104-game tournament.

Amnesty International condemned the decision, calling it "a moment of great danger" for human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Plans for the World Cup in Saudi Arabia include a stadium 350 meters above the ground in Neom, a futuristic city still under development, and another on a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh, named after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Throughout the bid process, FIFA accepted limited scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record that was widely criticized this year at the United Nations.

Activists and rights groups cautioned that FIFA has failed to heed the lessons from Qatar’s widely criticised 2022 World Cup preparations.

Saudi Arabia intends to invest tens of billions in World Cup-related projects as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, a modernisation agenda.

Central to this is the $900 billion Public Investment Fund, overseen by the crown prince.

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