Saudi Arabia is the only country to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, after Australia withdrew its interest on Tuesday.
FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament by October 31, and Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after the announcement on October 4.
Australia said on Tuesday that it would not be presenting a bid to host the tournament, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only candidate.
In a statement, FIFA said that it will conduct a thorough bidding and evaluation process for the 2034 World Cup, with the host to be appointed by the FIFA Congress in 2024.
Saudi FA President Yasser Al Misehal said that the federation is fully committed to fulfilling all FIFA requirements for the right to host the World Cup.
“All members of the Saudi football family are doing their best to achieve the dream of the Saudis male and females to see the World Cup in the Kingdom for the first time,” he said on social media platform X.
Yasser Al-Misehal (@Yalmisehal), president of the #Saudi Arabian Football Federation (@saudiff_en), has reaffirmed the federation's dedication to meeting all FIFA requirements for hosting the 2034 FIFA #WorldCup.https://t.co/GTKQVm7rPw
— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) November 1, 2023
“We believe in the great power of football to inspire future generations and we hope World Cup 2034 contributes to the development of the game throughout the world.”
If Saudi Arabia is awarded the 2034 World Cup, it would be the first time that the tournament has been held in the Middle East.
The country has been investing heavily in its sporting infrastructure in recent years, and it is currently hosting the 2023 Asian Games.
However, Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for its human rights record, and there are concerns that hosting the World Cup would give the country a platform to whitewash its image.
FIFA has said that it is committed to human rights, and it has said that it will consider human rights factors when evaluating the bids for the 2034 World Cup.
