Saudi Arabia Officially Launches Bid to Host FIFA World Cup 2034

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has officially unveiled its campaign to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. The nation is widely considered to be the frontrunner in this endeavour, as FIFA has announced them as the only candidate.

Saudi’s campaign to host the 2034 cup features the slogan ‘Growing. Together.’, which emphasises Saudi Arabia’s dynamic transformation. The theme of growth is applied to three categories: ‘Growing People. Together.’, ‘Growing Football. Together.’, and ‘Growing Connections. Together.’ Included in the bid were a logo inspired by Saudi history and a short film celebrating the nation’s ties to football.

With this bid, Saudi Arabia may become the first single host nation of a 48-team FIFA World Cup. The competition is scheduled to expand from 32 to 48 teams in 2026, but hosting will be shared by Canada, Mexico and the United States. In 2030, the cup will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

Saudi Arabia has been laying the groundwork for this moment for quite some time. The Nation has spent the last few years securing lucrative football brands and investing in the Saudi Pro League (SPL). The SPL now hosts some of the world’s best players, including Christiano Reynauldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema. Saudi Arabia announced its intention to bid to host the 2034 event in October of last year, then proceeded to successfully host the FIFA Club World Cup in Jeddah in December 2023. 

Hosting the FIFA World Cup fits into Saudi Arabia’s larger goal of becoming a central figure in global sports. Over the last six years, the country has hosted more than 100 international events.