Ahmed Al-Ghamdi ‘does the math’ for late-career 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Ahmed Al-Ghamdi has always dreamed big, but after news that Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, all but guaranteeing the 48-team extravaganza will be played in the Kingdom for the first time, he is now aiming for the stars.

The midfielder, who plays under Steven Gerrard for Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, only turned 22 in September. By the time the World Cup rolls around in 2034, he will likely have just turned 33; easily still young enough to be in consideration for the Green Falcons squad.

He told Arab News: “Obviously I did the math. Once they announced that they will be hosting the World Cup in 2034 I calculated how old I would be, and when I found out I would be 33, I got very excited because there’s still a big possibility to participate in the World Cup.

“To play in a World Cup on home soil in front of Saudi Arabian fans, and hopefully give good performances and maybe make history going to the further rounds in the World Cup, it will be truly amazing and something dreams are made of.”

Someone who knows what it means to play at a World Cup on home soil is South Korean star and former Al-Hilal fullback, Lee Young-pyo.

Lee, who spent two seasons at the Riyadh club between 2009 and 2011, was one of 23 players selected to represent his country at the 2002 World Cup, the first ever World Cup to be hosted in Asia.

It was at that tournament that the Taegeuk Warriors stunned the world with an improbable run to the semi-finals, dispatching the likes of Italy and Spain along the way. The scenes of hundreds of thousands of fans, all clad in red, spilling out onto the streets of Seoul in wild celebration with each passing victory live long in the memory.

Two decades may have