Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA showcase official bid

Article posted by Coliseum, March 6^th, 2024

Image: SAFF and Ministry of Sport

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has officially launched its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup™, putting it on a path to become the second Middle Eastern country to host the event after Qatar.

‘Gulf Business’ stated that securing the World Cup for 2034 could also be a foregone conclusion for the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) biggest economy as it’s currently the only country in the bidding to host the event.

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of the club competitions and the national teams. The founder of the SAFF is Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud.

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The 2034 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 25^th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. It is set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, as it was the only nation to submit a bid in time for FIFA’s deadline of October 31^st, 2023.

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is a regional, interGovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

‘Gulf Business’ further stated that on March 1^st, the Kingdom launched its bid campaign under a slogan dubbed ‘Growing. Together’.

Averred Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), in a statement, “Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup™ is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying. We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey. As we proved when we welcomed over 100 nationalities to the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023™ in Jeddah, the future is bright when we grow together.”

The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup™ was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from December 12^th-22^nd, 2023. The final match between the Premier League team Manchester City F.C. (UK) and the Brazilian football team Fluminense FC took place on December 22^nd, 2023 with Manchester City winning 4-0.

The big reveal of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid also included the unveiling of its new logo.

Said SAFF in a press statement, “The logo also shapes the country’s outline, with its five colors reflecting the diversity of the nation, Desert Amber, a symbol of warmth and generosity, Oasis Green representing valleys and mountains, Radiance Red drawing inspiration from the Red Sea coral reefs, Rich Lavender celebrating the blossoming wildflowers, and Sunrise Yellow marking an exciting new dawn for the nation.”

The 2034 World Cup will follow the 2030 edition, which will span three continents. The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ will have most of its games in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. But Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also each have a game.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 24^th FIFA World Cup™, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The 2030 World Cup will mark the centennial World Cup competition. For the first time, three countries from two continents will host the competition, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the host nations. Additionally, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will serve as nations that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup™, in particular the first World Cup in Uruguay. The first game, alongside a special centenary celebration, will be held in the 60,235-capacity Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. The second and third games will be held in Argentina and Paraguay, respectively. The rest of the games will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. This will be the first World Cup held in Africa since 2010, in South America since 2014, as well as in Europe since 2018.

As a result of having Africa, South America and Europe each hosting a 2030 World Cup game, FIFA limited the 2034 hosting to bidders from Asia and Oceania (a geographical region comprising Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia). And Saudi Arabia is currently the only bidder, meaning it’s securing of the World Cup could become a foregone conclusion.

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