Saudi Arabia yesterday officially submitted its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Gulf Online reported, adding that the kingdom is widely expected to be awarded the tournament due to the absence of competing bids.
The announcement follows an endorsement by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), after all details and requirements of the bid were completed, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The bid was delivered to FIFA in Paris by an official delegation led by Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Faisal, and the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Yasser Al-Misehal.
Bin Faisal said: “We are committed to hosting an exceptional edition of the FIFA World Cup set to feature 48 teams in a single country for the first time in the history of the competition… and help nurture a generation of athletes capable of competing at the highest global stage. We will continue to showcase to the world our nation’s transformation across all sectors.”
The official announcement of the winning bid is expected during the FIFA General Assembly meeting in December.
In related news, FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable” steps in football development. In an Instagram post on Sunday Infantino said: “Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for FIFA and is playing an important role in football development. They staged an outstanding and successful FIFA Club World Cup 2023 and have taken great steps to grow women’s football, which I saw first-hand while attending a Saudi Women’s Premier League game between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad last December.”
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