Saudi Arabia is poised to host the 2034 Winter World Cup after FIFA’s evaluation report for the sole bidder emphasized the probability of scheduling the tournament “between October and April” due to “local climatic conditions.
FIFA is set to announce the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Dec. 11, with the 2030 tournament expected to be awarded to a joint bid by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, commemorating the centenary of the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930.
Saudi Arabia will become the second nation in the Middle East to host the tournament, following its neighbor Qatar, which staged the 2022 World Cup. Despite ongoing concerns about human rights in the country, FIFA’s evaluation report classified this issue as a medium risk, awarding Saudi Arabia 419.8 points out of 500, the highest evaluation score ever achieved by a World Cup bidder.
The scheduling of the tournament in Saudi Arabia is expected to spark controversy, given the disruptions to major leagues worldwide during the Qatar World Cup, which was held in November and December 2022 to avoid the intense summer heat.
To accommodate the 2022 World Cup, seasons were extended, and major leagues paused for a month. However, FIFA downplayed timing concerns for 2034 in its evaluation report, citing the yet-to-be-defined International Match Calendar for that period. The report stated that “if the [Saudi] bid is successful, any decision on the tournament’s timing will account for these factors to ensure optimal conditions for teams and spectators.”
The report also highlighted the need to “consider religious events when determining the competition timeline,” noting that Ramadan, the annual Muslim fasting and prayer period, and the Hajj pilgrimage, which brings over 1.5 million pilgrims to Saudi Arabia annually, would need to be factored in. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the staging dates of the 2034 World Cup, FIFA’s report identified event timing as an “elevated risk.”
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
