GENEVA (AP) — Ahead of giving Saudi Arabia the men’s 2034 World Cup to host, FIFA approved the quality of its bid in a 110-page evaluation Saturday.
FIFA’s in-house inspection team noted Saudi Arabia must invest “significant effort and time” to fulfill promises for the tournament that comply with international standards.
The Saudi bid also was scored by FIFA staff as “medium risk” for huge construction projects to build most of the 15 stadiums and dozens of new hotels needed, plus picking which months to play the 48-team, 104-game tournament.
Shortly past midnight local time, FIFA published a mandatory evaluation of the Saudi project that is the only candidate since a fast-track bidding process was unexpectedly started in October last year. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has built strong ties in recent years to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On Dec. 11, in a scheduled online meeting of 211 national soccer federations, FIFA will ask them to acclaim without an itemised vote both Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup — for which only Asian and Oceania members could bid — and the Spain-Portugal-Morocco co-hosting bid for the 2030 edition. That project also gives one game to each of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which was the original World Cup host in 1930.
Another clash for international sports in 2034 is the Winter Olympics being hosted in two weeks in February by Salt Lake City, Utah.
On the financial prospects for FIFA, the inspection report cited a “strong commercial position” with a “substantial hospitality footprint proposed.”
FIFA said it put a cap of 25 per cent of the tickets being offered for corporate hospitality packages in the stadiums which range from 46,000 capacity to 92,000 seats for the planned King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh that will stage the final.
FIFA signed a World Cup sponsorship in April with Saudi oil firm Aramco and more deals are expected to follow the Dec. 11 win, including for the Club World Cup tournament that relaunches next June in the United States.
