Successful hosting of 2027 AFC Asian Cup will boost Saudi 2034 World Cup bid

The 2030 World Cup may not be coming to Saudi Arabia but the Kingdom is making the early running for the one after, especially as Asian leaders are already expressing support.

On Wednesday, FIFA announced that the 2030 spectacle will be staged jointly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Not just that but Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will get an opening game each as part of the centenary celebrations for the first ever World Cup that took place in South America in 1930.

It will, to say the least, be an interesting experience for fans across three continents but for supporters in Saudi Arabia, the focus is now on 2034. There is still a long way to go before any decision is made but, for the first time, an official announcement has been made by leaders in Saudi Arabia of their plans to stage the biggest sporting event in the world. It is a big step.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation. As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”

The 2030 decision is likely to play into the hands of Saudi Arabia. After Qatar last year, the next World Cup will be in North America — the US, Canada and Mexico. The one after that, we know now, will be in Europe with some help from Africa, and there is also that South American flavor as well. This means that since 2022, every confederation (apart from Oceania) will have hosted a World Cup game except Asia.

So 2034 could well