After Australia withdrew from the race to host the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will be in charge of organizing the most important international soccer competition, as it is the only remaining confirmed candidate.
Through a statement, FIFA reported that the Saudi Arabian Football Federation presented its formal declaration to host the 2034 World Cup. The official designation will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It would be the second World Cup to be held in a Middle Eastern country. The first was the last one played, in Qatar, in which Argentina got its third star by defeating France in the final.
Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has used soccer to enhance and boost its image by paying large amounts of money to some of the world's biggest stars. There are many players who have accepted multimillion-dollar contracts offered by the Public Investment Fund, a tool used by the monarchy to improve infrastructure in the country.
Examples of these players are Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema, who decided to go to the Saudi Arabian league despite it being a competition of lower rank and relevance than others that take place in Europe or America.
