6 nations to host 2030 World Cup, Saudi Arabia gets 2034 tournament
FIFA has granted hosting duties for the 2030 men's World Cup to a group of six countries spanning three continents.
It also confirmed that Saudi Arabia will stage the tournament in 2034.
The vote for both editions of the World Cup was conducted during a virtual meeting Wednesday, but the outcome was already known because neither bid had a rival.
Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will lead the 2030 World Cup, but there'll be a game apiece in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The South American countries are included to mark 100 years since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay.
Ukraine was briefly part of a mooted bid with Portugal and Spain, but that potential proposal was short-lived. A joint British and Irish bid was also dropped as the nations focused on hosting Euro 2028.
The 2030 World Cup being staged across three continents ruled out any countries from Africa, Europe, and South America from hosting in 2034. North America was already out of contention because the tournament will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026. Saudi Arabia's bid was strengthened further when Australia and Indonesia dropped their interest in co-hosting after FIFA surprisingly gave potential bidders just a month to submit their 2034 candidacy.
The country has developed close ties with FIFA under Gianni Infantino's presidency. Saudi Arabia hosted the 2023 Club World Cup, and the governing body has a lucrative sponsorship agreement with Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company.
There are significant logistical issues to overcome to stage the event in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia currently has just two stadiums with a capacity of at least 40,000. Fourteen are required to host the tournament in 2034, according to Agence-France Presse. And, like Qatar in 2022, the sweltering summer heat will likely force the tournament to be shifted to the winter months. The fact that Ramadan takes place in December that year could push the tournament to January.
Like Qatar, Saudi Arabia is accused of sportswashing its reputation through hosting major events. Human rights groups have highlighted executions, the oppression of women, the prohibiting of same-sex relationships, and the denial of free expression among many issues under its authoritarian regime.
"We look forward to positive human rights impacts, which are responsibilities of hosting a World Cup," Infantino said after the hosts were announced.
"The unique spotlight of a World Cup helps to shine light for improvements."