2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia marks sporting and cultural power shift to Asia

07.11.2023 - 08:17 arabnews.com

For just the third time in the tournament’s existence, the FIFA World Cup is coming to Asia, with Saudi Arabia the only confirmed bidder for the 2034 tournament — marking what appears to be a shifting of international sporting and cultural power to the continent.

Asia had to wait 72 years for its first tournament, held in Japan and South Korea, and then a further 20 for its second. The region, and the Gulf in particular, will have to wait just 12 years for another tournament, after Qatar’s hosting of the event in 2022.

It is a sign of the growing power of Asia, and for Saudi Arabia, in the sphere of global football, it has come in an unexpected rush.

It was just 12 months ago that the Green Falcons, then a relatively unknown quantity on the global stage, were preparing for the most daunting of tasks by taking on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the opening game.

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