So, guess what? Saudi Arabia is going to host the Fifa men’s World Cup in 2034! Can you believe it? It’s like a dream come true for them. They’ve got the support of the Asian Football Confederation and over 100 Fifa member nations. And let’s not forget, they’ve got Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, on their side. He’s so excited about sport in Saudi Arabia that he was even in Riyadh for the launch of an esports tournament. Talk about enthusiasm!
But here’s the thing, the way Saudi Arabia secured the World Cup hosting rights was a total surprise. At a Fifa council meeting in October, they brought up the topic of bidding processes and hosting the World Cup. And guess what? They proposed a whole new way of doing things. They changed the rules on the timing of bids and made sure that the tournament would rotate between all confederations. That means Asia or Oceania was guaranteed to host in 2034. And guess who’s in Asia? Saudi Arabia! So, they had the perfect opportunity to bid and they took it. And you know what? They won almost immediately. It was like a done deal.
Now, you might be wondering if anyone had a problem with this. Well, surprisingly, there hasn’t been much public discontent. Even Australia, who had ambitions to host the World Cup in 2034, decided to step aside when they were given a tight deadline to make a decision. They were cool about it though, saying, ‘It is what it is.’ They’re focusing on hosting Fifa’s new Club World Cup in 2029 instead. So, it seems like everyone is just going with the flow.
But here’s the thing, when it comes to football, sometimes values take a backseat. The World Cup in Qatar showed us that. European values were rejected, from the bans on beer to the refusal to accept the rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBTQ+ solidarity. And now, the World Cup is going to Saudi Arabia, a country where homosexuality is illegal and political dissent can get you killed. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how European nations, especially England, handle this tournament. Will they speak up or just go along with it?
But let’s talk about the money, because that’s always a big part of these things. Fifa and football in general are going to get a huge infusion of Saudi investment thanks to the World Cup. They’ll probably get sponsorship deals and more memorandums of understanding. It’s going to be a cash bonanza! But here’s the thing, nobody really knows what Saudi Arabia wants from all of this. They have big plans for sport, tourism, and national unity, but it’s all controlled by one man: the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. He’s got so many ambitious plans, it’s hard to keep track.
So, what’s the bottom line? Saudi Arabia is hosting the World Cup in 2034, and it’s a big deal. They’ve got the support, the enthusiasm, and the power to make it happen. But what they do with it and what it means for the world of football, well, only time will tell.