The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) confirmed that the 2034 World Cup will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while Spain, Portugal and Morocco will participate in hosting the 2030 World Cup, with the opening three matches being held in South America.
Both bids were not contested and were ratified at a FIFA online conference on Wednesday, with the English and Welsh Football Associations backing the bids.
Saudi Arabia emerged last year as the sole bidder in a controversial process that saw FIFA combine decisions on the 2030 and 2034 tournaments into a single vote, meaning delegates either supported or opposed both bids with no separate vote available.
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Jamie Weir explains why Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup is so controversial
The FIFA Congress also ratified the centenary of the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in six countries on three continents, with the opening three matches taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But the decision to award Saudi Arabia the rights to host the 2034 World Cup is highly controversial, with critics saying it is an attempt to whitewash the authoritarian regime’s reputation with sport.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its human rights violations, criminalization of homosexuality, restriction of freedom of expression, and lack of women’s rights.
The country will host football’s most prestigious tournament for the first time, the latest example of growing Saudi influence on global sport.
It hosts Formula 1, boxing, golf and tennis, while the country’s public investment fund created LIV Golf and bought English Premier League club Newcastle.
The Saudi bid was given the highest score ever by FIFA’s bid evaluation team and deemed only a “moderate risk” to human rights. Amnesty International described FIFA’s report as an “astonishing whitewash.”
The 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also be the first time that the expanded tournament, which includes 48 teams, will be held in just one country, as the 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Saudi Arabia was effectively handed the finals under an agreement reached at the FIFA Council meeting on October 4 last year.
The bid of Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup was initially up against a rival bid from South America, but it was agreed that South America would host the opening three matches of the 2030 Centenary Finals, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco hosting the rest.
This means that only countries in Asia or Oceania are eligible to host 2034 under FIFA’s rotation system, as FIFA confirmed that interested countries from those continents have less than a month to apply.
Saudi Arabia duly did so – on the same day the new arrangement was announced – with Australia announcing on October 31 that it would no longer stand as a competitor.
Can the World Cup be held in Saudi Arabia in the winter?
The Premier League and other major European clubs are likely to oppose any attempt to host the Saudi World Cup in the winter.
The FIFA file evaluation report indicates that temperatures in Saudi Arabia are at their lowest between October and April, with daytime temperatures in June and July – when the World Cup is traditionally played – exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
The European leagues, which include the English Premier League among their members, are already embroiled in a legal row with FIFA over what they see as a lack of consultation over the international calendar, and Palestinian Authority News Agency You understand there are major concerns among the leagues about the chaos the 2034 Winter World Cup could cause.
The mid-season scheduling of the World Cup is also likely to have a knock-on effect on seasons halted on either side of the campaign by the finals.
Domestic leagues were halted in preparation for the 2022 finals in Qatar, but doing so again will be more difficult given the expansion of European club competitions that has occurred since then, and the growth of the World Cup into a 48-team tournament.
For the 2026 finals, players are scheduled to remain with their country for up to eight weeks, from the start of the mandatory release period on May 25 until the final on July 19.
A dangerous decision for FIFA
Amnesty International director Steve Cockburn speaks on Sky Sports News:
“FIFA has human rights requirements that are part of the bidding process, which means that anyone who wants to host the World Cup must meet minimum labor standards, freedom of expression standards, and make sure people are protected when the tournament is held.
He added: “We have done a lot of work on Saudi Arabia over many years, and this is clearly a very dangerous decision for FIFA.”
“There are significant risks for migrant workers, hundreds of thousands of whom will be participating in the tournament, who risk exploitation or even death in the extreme heat conditions, residents who may be forcibly evacuated from their homes for major projects, and fans, who could face discrimination.
He added: “We know that in Saudi Arabia, anyone who wants to speak out, even peacefully, will find themselves in prison.
He added: “So it is a very serious decision. FIFA could not negotiate human rights protections with Saudi Arabia before it granted the decision, and it is not really clear whether it made a special effort.”
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