Saudi Arabia makes its bid for the 2034 World Cup official

It is not new that the organizational universe of major sporting events is being reconfigured.

From Formula 1 and the professional golf circuit to world championships of the most challenging sports and Olympism in all its forms, they are finding in Asia in general and a sector of the so-called Arab World in particular a reference that is already much more than the idea of emerging markets.

Qatar with a soccer world cup in a single city - an experience certainly unrepeatable for this sport - or Beijing being a previously unsuspected host of the Winter Olympics are two of the many and eloquent examples in this regard.

Last October, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to submit its bid for the 2034 World Cup. This decision was made official by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation with an official letter and a statement to FIFA. Now with the launch of its logo, website and campaign slogan, “Grow. Together,” Saudi Arabia finished shaping the dream. This is how, with the candidacy message, they seek to celebrate the passion, spirit and diversity of their football, promoting the transformation of the country and the impact that organizing an event of such magnitude on Saudi soil would have.

“Telling our football story to the world is of the utmost importance and we believe that “Growing. Together” is the perfect description of our approach to, hopefully, hosting the tournament 10 years from now.” This is how Yasser Al Misehal, president of SAFF, expressed himself. Not only thinking about the next 10 years, Saudi Arabia has something to look forward to with this dream. It is worth reviewing the events it held in the last decade to highlight the organizational growth it had in terms of major sporting events.

Without going any further - following the football line - Saudi Arabia has just held a successful celebration of the 2023 Club World Cup -with the coronation of Manchester City- and with the 2024 venue also guaranteed. Events like these set a precedent for what could become a World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Added to this is the domestic growth that football has been experiencing in that country. Both men’s and women’s football have been growing since 2021 in all areas: training centers have tripled, there are new talent identification programs, education has been encouraged to become coaches and national teams have grown to cover different ages.

“This campaign is based on the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in Saudi Arabia. It is our responsibility to submit the best possible bid for FIFA to make our country proud and live up to the trust placed by the more than 130 member federations that supported our candidacy,” said Hammad Albalawi, director of the Saudi Football Federation’s 2034 FIFA World Cup Tenders Unit.

It remains to be seen if there are new candidates for the 2034 Cup - Australia dropped its candidacy last November - but the dream is going strong for the Saudis who, if succeed, will live the ultimate dream of hosting the best world football in their land.