2034 FIFA World Cup: Saudi Arabia set to become hosts after Australia bows out of race

The bid to host the mega 2034 Football World Cup has encountered one final twist as Australia has officially opted out of the race. As a result, Saudi Arabia is left in the running as the only bidder and looks all set at the moment to host the global tournament.

The decision comes hours before breaching the October 31 deadline set by FIFA, which had previously disclosed that the 2034 World Cup would be held either in Asia or Oceania. Saudi Arabia entered the race on the back of a lot of support from the Asian Football Confederation but many opined that Australia would be a tough contender in this process.

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Regardless, Saudi Arabia will most likely be the second Middle Eastern nation in FIFA World Cup history to host the tournament after Qatar (in 2022). Interestingly, Saudi Arabia had also expressed strong aspirations to host the centenary edition in 2030 along with Greece and Egypt but FIFA declared that the South American nations of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina would instead get the opportunity.

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The next FIFA World Cup, in 2026, will be played in North America across the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

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The opportunity to host the 2034 World Cup now becomes an integral move as part of Saudi Arabia's objective to become the centre for sports tourism in the next decade. Football, evidently, seems to be prominently on the nation's radar with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané (both playing for Al Nassr) and Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli) now part of the top leagues in the Saudi Pro League. The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, too, shall be held in Saudi Arabia.