FIFA has confirmed that the 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, while the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco with the opening three matches in South America.
Both bids were not disputed and were confirmed at the online FIFA Congress on Wednesday, with the Football Associations of England and Wales backing the bids.
Saudi Arabia emerged last year as the sole bidder in a controversial process that saw FIFA combine the 2030 and 2034 tournament decisions into one vote, meaning delegates supported or opposed both bids without a separate vote. -half available.
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Jamie Weir explains why Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid is so controversial
The FIFA Congress also confirmed the centenary of the 2030 World Cup, which will be held across six countries on three continents with the three opening matches taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But the decision to give hosting rights to Saudi Arabia in 2034 is highly controversial, with critics arguing that it is an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the authoritarian regime 'sweeping sport'.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its human rights violations, criminalization of homosexuality, restriction of free speech and lack of women's rights.
The country will host the most prestigious football tournament for the first time and is the latest example of Saudi's growing influence on world sport.
It hosts Formula 1, boxing, golf and tennis, while the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has established LIV Golf and bought Premier League side Newcastle.
Saudi Arabia's bid received the highest score ever by FIFA's bid evaluation team and was rated as only a “moderate threat” to human rights. Amnesty International described FIFA's report as “remarkably promising”.
The 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also be the first time the expanded 48-team tournament will be held in just one country, with the 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Saudi Arabia effectively qualified for the finals with an agreement reached at a FIFA Council meeting on October 4 last year.
The 2030 bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco was up against a rival bid from South America, but an arrangement was made for South America to host the opening three games of the 2030 centenary finals, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco hosting the rest.
That meant that only countries from Asia or Oceania were eligible to host in 2034 under FIFA's rotation system, with FIFA confirming that countries interested in those continents had less than a month to present themselves. put forward.
Saudi Arabia duly complied – on the same day the new arrangement was announced – with Australia announcing on October 31 that it would not stand as a competitor.
Could the Saudi World Cup be held in winter?
The Premier League and other major European divisions are likely to oppose any attempt to stage the Saudi World Cup in the winter.
FIFA's bid evaluation report notes that temperatures in Saudi Arabia are at their worst between October and April, with daytime temperatures in June and July – when the World Cup takes place to play traditionally – higher than 40 degrees Celsius.
The European Leagues, which include the Premier League among its membership, are already embroiled in legal action with FIFA over what it sees as a lack of consultation on the inter-league calendar. national, and the PA news agency understands that there are serious concerns among leagues about the game disruption that the 2034 winter World Cup would cause.
The World Cup mid-season schedule would seem to have a positive effect on the seasons on both sides of the campaign interrupted by the finals.
Domestic leagues stopped for the 2022 finals in Qatar, but it would be much more challenging to do so again given the expansion of European club competition that has taken place since then, and the World Cup becoming a tournament with 48 teams.
For the 2026 finals, players are expected to be with their country for up to eight weeks, from the start of the mandatory release period on May 25 until the final on July 19.
A dangerous decision for FIFA
Amnesty International Director Steve Cockburn speaking on Sky Sports News:
“FIFA has human rights requirements that are part of their bid process, which means that anyone who wants to host the World Cup should meet minimum labor standards, freedom of expression standards, and to ensure that people are protected when the competition takes place.
“We have done a lot of work on Saudi Arabia over many years, and this is clearly a risky decision for FIFA.
“There are serious risks for migrant workers, hundreds of thousands of whom will be involved in the competition, who are at risk of exploitation or even death in extremely hot conditions, residents who may be abducted from their homes for big projects, followers. which may face discrimination.
“And we know that in Saudi Arabia, anyone who wants to speak out, even peacefully, will be imprisoned.
“So it's a very risky decision. FIFA failed to negotiate human rights protections with Saudi Arabia prior to implementation, and it is unclear whether it even tried particularly hard.
