Saudi Arabia sports minister vows affordable and safe World Cup in 2034

MIAMI: Saudi Arabia’s sports minister says the Kingdom will work with ‌FIFA to ensure ticket affordability and fan safety for the 2034 World Cup, amid regional instability and lessons from this year’s finals in North America where costs have been a concern.

Match ticket prices, especially on the resale market, have been a bone of contention not only among fans but also with US lawmakers who had called on FIFA to lower ticket costs, which have seen an astronomic rise since the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said that while FIFA own the tickets and set prices, Saudi Arabia would cooperate with world football’s governing body to improve accessibility while also granting visas to more countries.

“This is something that we’re going to work with FIFA on. Nobody wants to see a tournament such as the World Cup where people are struggling to come,” Al-Faisal told Reuters.

“We have more than 60 (countries whose citizens can get) e-visas on arrival and hopefully more to come. That actually started with a sporting event in the ‌Kingdom in 2018 ‌when we hosted Formula E. Before that we didn’t have any tourist visa.

“We’ve hosted ‌more than 150 international events. All fans that have come have enjoyed (them), have found ease of access. So that’s definitely one of the things that we really focus on to make sure that everyone has accessibility.”

Saudi Arabia is set to host football’s 2027 Asian Cup, a key test of venues ahead of the Kingdom’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup. But the US-Iran war and wider regional tensions risk complicating plans to welcome the world. However, the minister emphasized that safety remained paramount for the Kingdom, highlighting attendances in Saudi Pro League matches