In ten years, it will be time for the 2034 World Cup — which means the countdown is entering a new phase for Saudi football fans and the rest of the sport’s community.
For everyone else, there are two more World Cups before Saudi Arabia lays out the welcome mat, but as soon as the final ball has been kicked in the 2030 tournament, all eyes will turn to the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia will be the first nation to host a 48-team World Cup alone; 2026 will be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, and 2030 by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
It is an exciting prospect. The Kingdom’s football culture goes back far further than those tuning into the current revolution that is sweeping the Saudi game might imagine.
“Football culture is deeply rooted in Saudi Arabia,” Omar Mugharbel, Saudi Pro League CEO told Arab News. “Everybody grew up playing football, everybody grew up watching football and it’s deeply knitted into our culture.”
FIFA’s selection criteria for a host nation go beyond a strong football heritage and love of the game, however. Infrastructure, service, commercial potential and sustainability are among the prime categories on which bids are judged.
HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman endorses Saudi Arabia’s final preparations ahead of FIFA World Cup 2034™ Bid Book for submission to FIFA. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia first held a FIFA event in 1989 — the World Youth Championship. In 1997 there was the Confederations Cup. But during the last five to 10 years, the number of events and tournaments — not just football — held in the Kingdom has skyrocketed, earning it a solid reputation as a host.
The influx of some of the world’s best international players may have added stardust to the Saudi Pro League, but Mugharbel says it is about much more than the big names.
“It’s not only about signing of the star players,” he explained. “It’s also about what we’re doing in infrastructure and really improving the game. It’s important for us that people not only look at what we are doing from afar but to actually come to the ground and experience it firsthand.”
Top of FIFA’s list of important criteria is infrastructure fit to accommodate the world’s favorite tournament. Stadiums are given most weight, followed by team and referee facilities, accommodation, transport, international broadcasting facilities and fan festival sites.
Each hosting stadium must have a capacity of at least 40,000, with quarterfinal and semifinal venues able to accommodate 60,000 spectators. Stadiums for the opening match and the final must have a minimum capacity of 80,000.
Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
By the time the World Cup arrives, the Kingdom will have 15 world-class stadiums. Some are still being completed while others, such as the King Fahd International Stadium, are being renovated.
Both the opening game and final will be held in the 92,760-capacity King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh, and the city will also host other matches along with Jeddah, Alkhobar, Abha and NEOM.
Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, called the 2034 bid — which had the slogan “Growing Together” — a pivotal moment for football in the Kingdom.
“It is a moment that marks the natural step in the journey of developing Saudi Arabia’s football and sports sectors,” he told Arab News. “Fans will have the opportunity to explore Saudi Arabia’s diverse locales, from the coastal cities of Jeddah and Alkhobar to the vibrant heart of the desert in Riyadh. They will experience our culture and hospitality firsthand.”
Other factors also played a part in Saudi Arabia being chosen as host for the 2034 World Cup. Geographically, it bridges three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. Most of the world is within easy reach of a flight to Riyadh or Jeddah, and there are direct flights to many North American cities.
This will be a World Cup that belongs to the Arab world. Fans from North Africa and West Asia will have a level of convenience and accessibility first witnessed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Major investment in public transport and a new metro in Riyadh, for example, will make it easy for visitors to get around the venues and fan zones while enjoying all that the capital has to offer.
Saudi Arabia is firmly established as the continent’s premier football destination and will, crucially, also host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
This tournament, a major event in its own right, will be the perfect rehearsal for the global party set to start seven years later.
