Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The 2034 men’s football World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, while Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will jointly host the 2030 tournament, FIFA has confirmed.
The 2034 World Cup will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup, held in 1930. Coinciding with that, 3 matches in the 2030 tournament will also be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The hosts for both tournaments, and of the 2030 centenary celebrations, were confirmed via two separate votes.
This announcement comes after a vote by the FIFA General Assembly. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that all national football associations backed the Kingdom’s bid, marking a historic moment for the tournament. All 211 of Fifa’s member nations were represented at the meeting over a video link.
Infantino, expressed excitement about the special nature of the upcoming tournament, which will be the first to feature 48 teams. He also praised the unanimous support from all continental federations.
On December 1, Saudi Arabia’s bid received the highest-ever technical evaluation score in World Cup history, earning 419.8 out of 500 points.
The tournament will take place across five Saudi cities—Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and Neom—with 15 stadiums in total, 10 of which will be newly constructed.
Saudi Arabia’s bid was first revealed to FIFA in July 2023, and the official submission was made in Paris in October of the same year. The Saudi Football Federation launched the official identity of the bid in March 2024, with the slogan “Growing. Together.” along with a dedicated website.
The Swiss FA had said it would approve the Saudi bid for the 2034 World Cup, but demanded human rights must be monitored by both Fifa and the international labour organisation.
Saudi Arabia has faced accusations of “sports washing,” with critics claiming that the country’s significant investments in sports are aimed at improving its international image amid concerns about its human rights record and environmental impact.
This monumental decision marks a new chapter for the Kingdom’s involvement in global sports and represents a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan.
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