Fifa confirms Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts.
The 2034 Men’s Football World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, while the 2030 tournament will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, FIFA confirmed during an Extraordinary Congress meeting. Three matches in the 2030 tournament will also take place in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to commemorate 100 years since the first World Cup.
The hosts for these tournaments were decided via two separate votes at the congress, with all 211 FIFA member nations represented via video link. The first vote selected Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina for the centenary matches. The second vote confirmed Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as the main hosts for 2030 and awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup. Votes were cast through acclamation, where participants applauded in front of their cameras to signify approval. FIFA’s Secretary General, Mattias Grafstrom, noted that all associations had effectively voted prior to the meeting.
Norway abstained from the voting process due to concerns about FIFA's current bidding procedures, though its stance was not specifically directed at Saudi Arabia. Switzerland's football association supported the Saudi bid for 2034 but insisted that human rights must be monitored by FIFA and the International Labour Organization. The Swiss FA also requested its observations be included in the congress minutes.
The Danish Football Union (DBU) expressed mixed feelings about the process. While it supported the overall decisions, DBU Chairman Jesper Møller criticized the lack of competitive bids, saying, We would have liked to see more bids for both the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and are critical of the overall process.
FIFA’s selection process faced scrutiny, with many emphasizing the need for transparency and human rights considerations. However, the decisions mark historic milestones, including a celebration of the World Cup's centenary in South America and the first time Saudi Arabia will host the tournament.
The 2030 World Cup will bring together six countries across three continents, while Saudi Arabia’s 2034 edition promises to expand the tournament’s reach further into the Middle East. Both events underline FIFA’s ambition to globalize the sport, despite ongoing criticism about the selection process and host nation criteria.
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