ZURICH — FIFA officially awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights for the 2034 men’s soccer World Cup on Wednesday, marking a significant achievement for the kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia’s bid was the sole contender and received overwhelming support from over 200 FIFA member federations participating remotely in a Zurich-based online meeting led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino declared the congress vote decisive, prompting officials displayed on screens to applaud their approval.
This decision coincided with the approval of the 2030 World Cup host: a joint bid from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, involving a six-nation collaborative project that includes Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, each hosting a share of the 104 matches.
The South American involvement commemorates the centenary of Uruguay hosting the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
The largely opaque 15-month bidding process, guided by Infantino without a competing bid and without addressing questions, concludes. Concerns remain about the potential risks to migrant workers.
“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 stated.
Both FIFA and Saudi officials assert that hosting the 2034 tournament will accelerate positive change, including advancements in women’s rights and freedoms. Infantino described the World Cup 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 added.
An international coalition of human rights organizations deemed FIFA’s decision reckless, criticizing the lack of public assurances and declaring it “the day football truly lost its mind.”
FIFA’s acceptance of the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup last year limited eligibility for the 2034 bid to Asian and Oceanian soccer federations. FIFA provided less than four weeks for countries to submit bids, with only Saudi Arabia responding.
The win will initiate a decade of intense scrutiny, particularly concerning the substantial workforce, largely from South Asia, required for constructing and upgrading 15 stadiums, along with hotels and transportation infrastructure for the 104-game tournament.
Amnesty International characterized the award of the tournament to Saudi Arabia as a “moment of great danger” for human rights.
“FIFA’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,” stated Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labor Rights and Sport.”
One planned stadium will be situated 350 meters (yards) above ground in Neom, a futuristic city currently under development, and another will be built atop a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh.
Throughout the bidding campaign, FIFA’s scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record was limited and widely criticized.
Saudi and international rights groups and activists warned FIFA against repeating the mistakes made during Qatar’s heavily criticized preparations for the 2022 World Cup.
“At every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham,” Cockburn asserted.
The kingdom intends to invest tens of billions of dollars in World Cup-related projects as part of the crown prince’s Vision 2030 initiative, a broad plan to modernize Saudi society and economy. A key component is sports spending via the $900 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF), which he oversees.
“It’s amazing. The infrastructure, the stadiums, the conditions for the fans and everything. After what I see, I’m more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever,” Cristiano Ronaldo stated in a video message posted on X.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is a beneficiary of Saudi Arabia’s substantial investment in soccer, having signed a record-breaking contract reportedly worth up to $200 million annually.
Critics accuse Saudi Arabia of “sportswashing” its reputation.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has cultivated close ties with Infantino since 2017, choosing collaboration with the organizer of the world’s most-watched sporting event over direct confrontation with the existing system, unlike Qatar’s approach.
The result for Saudi Arabia and FIFA has been a smooth path to Wednesday’s victory, characterized by considerable support from soccer officials, although some dissent was voiced by international women players.
The substantial influx of Saudi funding into international soccer is poised to increase.
FIFA established a new, premium World Cup sponsorship category, with Saudi funding expected to significantly support Infantino’s favored project, a new World Cup in the United States.
CONCACAF (the North American soccer body) signed a multi-year deal with PIF, Saudi stadiums host Super Cup matches for Italy and Spain, and nearly 50 FIFA member federations have established cooperative agreements with their Saudi counterparts.
Significant spending by Saudi clubs over the past two years on player acquisitions—including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and others—has injected hundreds of millions of dollars into European soccer.
This influence could be crucial in determining the months for the 2034 World Cup. The November-December timeframe used by Qatar in 2022 to avoid extreme heat conflicts with Ramadan, which extends into mid-December, and Riyadh’s hosting of the Asian Games.
January 2034 might be a viable alternative, potentially favorable for European clubs and leagues, following the Winter Olympics’ relatively smooth integration with the Salt Lake City Games, opening February 10, 2034. The IOC is also planning the Esports Olympics.
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