FIFA has officially announced and confirmed that the World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2034. They were the only bidders to host the tournament in ten years, and now they’ve received official confirmation to host the World Cup. This competition continues to shift from one extreme to another. After the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, we’ll see a situation in 2030 where the tournament will start in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay before moving to three more countries across two continents. From South America, the World Cup will transition to Europe and Africa, with the rest of the matches played in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Three continents, six nations, and a competition whose logistics will take days, months, or even years to fully explain.BREAKING: FIFA has confirmed Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MVrHSNf9Tc— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 11, 2024 Once we get through all of that, the World Cup will head to Saudi Arabia in 2034. Recently, the country has been pushing the boundaries with its football league, handing out money in heaps. They attracted stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kanté, and many more. A lot of prominent players have left serious football to fill their bank accounts and play for the local fans in Saudi Arabia, where the league hasn’t exploded as anticipated. Worse still, viewership is declining, and there’s widespread disinterest. Yet, football is being played, money is flowing, and both key parties are satisfied. Saudi Arabia now hosts nearly everything: tennis tournaments, a strong football league, Formula 1, MotoGP, and plans are in place for NBA and Euro League games. Sports are only growing in the country. In ten years, they’ll host the World Cup, promising a grand spectacle. With so much money, time, and advancing technology, we can only imagine what awaits us there.’FIFA will not keep a single euro from the World Cup’As early as October 2023, it was clear the World Cup would be held there, as they were the only bidders. Australia, the only potential rival, had to withdraw, given that they had just one month to prepare their bid, which was unrealistic. Since the World Cup is set to rotate between continents—North and South America in 2026, then South America, Africa, and Europe in 2030—the 2034 bids were limited to Asia and Oceania. Saudi Arabia has built a close relationship with FIFA, winning over president Gianni Infantino and fostering strong ties. They arranged for the streaming platform DAZN to broadcast the first-ever expanded FIFA Club World Cup, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) footing the bill. Piece by piece, their bid achieved a rating of 4.2 out of 5, the highest ever. This decision wasn’t explained via a press conference or statement, raising some eyebrows.New rule on the horizon: Coaches’ challenges in football?There was no voting process; instead, all parties agreed that Saudi Arabia would host. The decision was made swiftly, leaving FIFA headache-free and more than satisfied. The organization’s accounts will fill regardless, and football will have the chance to shine in a new and unique setting—hopefully brighter than it did last time on this continent. The bid outlines plans for matches on 15 stadiums. Three are already under construction, eight are planned, and four are existing venues. A futuristic settlement, Neom, is also set to host a new stadium, although this is still in the planning stage. Like Qatar, the 2034 World Cup will be played in winter due to summer temperatures exceeding 40°C. The main obstacle will likely be opposition from major leagues, which suffered disruptions during the Qatar World Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_8564168##
