Today, December 11, 2024, FIFA will make official the locations of the World Cup in 2030 and 2034. Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with games also in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to celebrate 100 years since the first event in history) will host the 2030 one and the Saudi Arabia that of 2034, since they are the only nominations.
Saudi Arabia went it alone for 2034, with FIFA backing its bid from the start, despite backlash from the football world.
Invoking the principle of continental rotation, FIFA had limited its call for applications for the 2034 event to confederations in Asia and Oceania, which took place immediately in autumn 2023.
And Saudi Arabia, the emerging superpower of world sport, found itself the only contender after Australia and Indonesia pulled out and China’s football ambitions “withdrew”.
The Gulf kingdom, which embarked on a diversification strategy, currently has only two of the 14 stadiums with a capacity of at least 40,000 spectators required to host the 48 teams.
Beyond the logistical challenge, the hot summer could force the event to be moved to winter or late fall, as in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t have a good image at all, yet they throw a lot of money on the table, which doesn’t leave FIFA indifferent. Many accuse the kingdom of using sports as a “sportswashing” strategy, diverting focus from issues such as human rights abuses.
Most do not want the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Concerns center on the exploitation of migrant workers, who will be mobilized en masse to upgrade infrastructure, but also on the future displacement of residents and discrimination that may affect fans.
However, FIFA “blows the whistle” indifferently, having already made its choice for some time. Today (11/12/2024) the takeover of the World Cup by Saudi Arabia will be officially announced, which has been “working” on its candidacy for many years, bringing world-class players such as Cristiano Ronaldo to its league.