2034 The World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia and the 2030 World Cup will be held worldwide. Morocco, Portugal And Spain With three one-off matches to be held in three South American countries, FIFA made the confirmation at an extraordinary general congress on Wednesday.
The decision was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino after a virtual congress. The 2030 and 2034 World Cups had just one bid each and both were confirmed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations.
“We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not reduced the quality,” Infantino said of the 2030 World Cup.
“The vote of Congress is loud and clear,” said Infantino, who asked officials on the edge of the screens to clap their heads to show their support.
Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for the 2034 edition of the tournament.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said, “This is a historic moment for Saudi Arabia and a dream come true for all of our 32 million people who simply love sports. ” “Kingdom is on a remarkable journey of transformation under Vision 2030 and today is another huge step that reflects and celebrates our progress as we look towards a brighter future.”
The 211 member federations were also offered a single voting option for the 2030 competition, which Uruguay, Paraguay And Argentina — countries that previously promoted rival co-host bids — will each host one match to kick off the tournament.
This will allow FIFA to hold the opening game in Uruguay’s capital Montevideo, where the Centenario Stadium hosted the 1930 World Cup final a century ago.
“What better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary in 2030 than with a World Cup in six countries, on three continents, with 48 teams and 104 epic matches,” Infantino said of the 2030 World Cup. “The world will stand still and celebrate 100 years of the World Cup.
“Congratulations to all the bidders for putting forward a great dossier, but I would like to put on record my big, big thanks to the six confederation presidents and their teams.”
In 2023, FIFA said the 2034 World Cup would be held in the Asia or Oceania region, with the Asian Football Confederation throwing its support behind the Saudi bid.
Australia and Indonesia were also discussing a joint bid but withdrew.
FIFA announced that the two bids will be uncontested in 2023, leaving no room for doubt.
Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al Masihal said that football lives in our hearts, so hosting the FIFA World Cup is an honor and we have been working for it for a long time. “We welcome this responsibility and opportunity to help promote sport globally for all and make a positive contribution to the world.”
“It’s amazing. The infrastructure, the stadium, the conditions for the fans and everything. After what I’m seeing, I’m convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever.” Cristiano Ronaldo said in a recorded package posted on X.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been part of Saudi Arabia’s lavish spending on football – surprising the sport by agreeing to sign him. Nasr in 2022 for a record-breaking salary reportedly worth up to $200 million a year.
On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would vote against awarding hosting rights by definition and criticized FIFA’s bidding process, saying it was “incorrect and inconsistent”. .
Following the confirmation of Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 World Cup, 21 organizations including Amnesty International, Saudi diaspora human rights organizations, migrant workers’ groups from Nepal and Kenya, and international trade unions condemned the move. issued a joint statement.
“FIFA’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia puts many lives at risk without ensuring adequate human rights protections,” Steve Cockburn, head of labor rights and sports at Amnesty International, said in a statement on Wednesday. Will.”
The country denies allegations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
Saudi Arabia has never hosted such a big tournament before and will have to build eight stadiums that will be used for the event.
All host nations will get automatic entry into the newly expanded 48-team tournament.
FIFA faces a battle. Against Europe’s major leagues, incl Premier League And La Ligasources close to plans for the winter World Cup in Saudi Arabia told ESPN that such a disruption to the fixture calendar would require a “firm agreement” from leagues and players.
This report used information from Reuters and The Associated Press.