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Saudi Arabia set to host 2034 World Cup after Australia withdraws

 

 

THE coast is now clear for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup after Australia confirmed it would not bid for the hosting rights of the global tournament.

To make it competitive, FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament, with today as the deadline for the submission of interest.

Saudi Arabia immediately announced then, on October 4, that the country would be making a bid and Australia also issued a statement afterwards that it was seriously considering throwing its hat in the ring.

Football Australia president James Johnson had said the country was ‘exploring the possibility’ of bidding for 2034, but today the governing body said it would instead focus on bids for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup.

With Australia’s decision to not proceed with the 2034 bid, Saudi Arabia is the only confirmed bidder.

The president of the Asian Football Confederation, the sport’s continental governing body to which Australia belongs, said the region would unanimously support the Saudi bid.

A week after FIFA’s invitation, Indonesia said it was in discussions with Australia about a possible joint bid along with Malaysia and Singapore, but said a week later that it backed Saudi Arabia’s bid.

Australia co-hosted a successful FIFA Women’s World Cup this year with New Zealand but has never hosted a men’s World Cup.

“We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup,” Football Australia said today.

“Achieving this …would represent a truly golden decade for Australian football.”

FIFA awarded the 2030 World Cup hosting rights to six countries across three continents.

Morocco (Africa), Portugal and Spain (both Europe) are the main hosts, with World Cup centenary games to be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay (all South America).

 

 

 

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