FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 Men’s World Cup, while the 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with additional matches in three South American countries. The decision was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino following a virtual extraordinary Congress. The 2030 and 2034 World Cups each had only a single bid and both were confirmed by acclamation.
“We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not diluted the quality. It actually enhanced the opportunity,” Infantino said about the 2030 World Cup.
Saudi Arabia has a massive construction plan for stadiums, hotels, and transport infrastructure that will likely rely heavily on migrant labor. This mirrors the situation in Qatar leading up to the 2022 World Cup, for which FIFA and Qatar were heavily criticized worldwide over the abuse of migrant workers. A FIFA-appointed panel later acknowledged that workers in Qatar deserved compensation for the poor conditions they endured.
Switzerland’s soccer federation expressed concerns on Tuesday, noting “some vagueness on certain points” in Saudi Arabia’s strategy to protect rights and freedoms. The Guardian also reported that the English FA was uncertain whether it would express dissent during the meeting. In Qatar, during the 2022 World Cup, England captain Harry Kane had planned to wear a rainbow armband in solidarity with human rights and LGBTQ+ equality supporters, but these plans were altered “in the face of FIFA pressure.”
Saudi Arabia plans to stage the 2034 World Cup across 15 stadiums — eight of which are still in the planning stages — in five cities. The opening game and final are set to take place in a 92,000-seat venue planned for Riyadh.
FIFA’s decision to award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup could lead to a scheduling conflict with the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. However, the International Olympic Committee downplayed this risk last week.
A World Cup in January 2022 was ruled out for Qatar, as it was deemed too close to the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Instead, the 2022 World Cup was played in November and December. The 48-team, 104-game World Cup format takes 38 days to complete, and the IOC aims to hold the 2034 Winter Games’ Opening Ceremony on February 10. While the 2034 World Cup could be scheduled for November and December, as it was in 2022, this time frame coincides with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and Riyadh’s hosting of the Asian Games.
