Saudi Arabia to host 2034 FIFA World Cup; Spain, Portugal and Morocco co-host of 2030 WC

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. The combined proposal from Morocco, Spain and Portugal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six nations, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting celebratory games to mark the tournament’s centenary.

FIFA and Saudi officials have stated that hosting the 2034 World Cup could drive significant change, including expanding freedoms and rights for women. The fast track to Saudi Arabia’s victory began last year when FIFA approved a three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup. This decision limited the 2034 bid to soccer federations in Asia and Oceania, giving them less than four weeks to submit their proposals. Only Saudi Arabia responded.

Saudi Arabia’s successful bid will bring intense scrutiny over labor laws and the treatment of workers—primarily from South Asia—who will be needed to help build and upgrade 15 stadiums, as well as hotels and transport infrastructure, ahead of the 104-game tournament.

One planned stadium is set to be located 350 meters above the ground in Neom, a futuristic city still under development, while another, named after the crown prince, will be perched atop a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh.

During the bid campaign, FIFA accepted limited scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, which has been widely criticized, including by the United Nations earlier this year.

Saudi and international rights groups, along with activists, warned FIFA that it had not learned from the criticism faced by Qatar during its World Cup preparations in 2022. The international collective of rights groups called FIFA’s decision a “reckless” one, pointing out that the organization failed to secure public assurances for human rights protection.

Amnesty International’s Steve Cockburn said, “At every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham.” Saudi Arabia plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on World Cup-related projects, as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative, aimed at modernizing the country’s economy and society. Central to this effort is the $900 billion Public Investment Fund, which is set to finance major sports ventures. Critics have labeled this as “sportswashing,” aimed at improving the kingdom’s global reputation.

The crown prince, known as MBS, has developed close ties with FIFA President Gianni Infantino since 2017, aligning with FIFA rather than challenging the global sports system as Saudi Arabia did with the controversial LIV Golf project. This alliance helped ensure the smooth approval of the 2034 bid, with minimal resistance from soccer officials, though some international female players have voiced concerns.

Saudi Arabia’s financial influence in global soccer is only set to grow. FIFA has created a new World Cup sponsorship category for state oil giant Aramco, and Saudi funding will underwrite the 2025 Club World Cup in the U.S., a key project for Infantino.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund has invested heavily in international soccer, with clubs signing top-tier players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mané. This influx of capital into European soccer has already reshaped the sport’s financial landscape.

This growing influence could play a significant role in determining the timing of the 2034 World Cup. While Qatar’s 2022 World Cup was held in November and December to avoid extreme summer heat, the 2034 tournament may face complications due to Ramadan, which runs through mid-December, and Riyadh hosting the Asian Games. January 2034 is a potential alternative, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stating it sees few issues with a clash between the World Cup and the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which will open on February 10, 2034. The IOC also has significant commercial ties with Saudi Arabia, including a deal to host the new Esports Olympics.