SAFF: Saudi Arabia hosting 2034 World Cup 'is what dreams are made of for all generations'

Hosting the 2034 World Cup will be Saudi Arabia’s “invitation to the world to witness its development experience, welcoming society, culture and heritage and become part of its history”, said the president of the kingdom’s football association.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to stage for the first time football’s showpiece tournament, following confirmation that Morocco would form one of three main hosts for the 2030 edition, alongside Spain and Portugal.

Fifa, football’s world governing body, invited member federations from the Asia and Oceania regions to submit bids, with Australia expected to register a proposal after the successful co-hosting of this year’s Women’s World Cup with New Zealand. The chosen candidate is expected to be announced at a Fifa congress next year.

If the Saudi bid proves successful, it would mark the second time a Gulf country has held the World Cup. Last year, Qatar became the first Arab nation to host a global finals.

Then, Saudi Arabia competed in the World Cup for a sixth time, defeating eventual champions Argentina in Doha in November to register one of the greatest shocks in tournament history.

In a video released by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) on Wednesday night, its president, Yasser Al Misehal, said: “Hosting a World Cup in Saudi Arabia would mean everything to us. We are a football nation, and this is what dreams are made of for all the generations, young and old, boys and girls.

“I believe the whole world saw the great passion of all our fans in the last World Cup 2022. That passion, noise, energy, and colour. I think young kids in Saudi today will be dreaming of this and, in fact, we want to help them achieve this dream in 2034.

SAFF president