Saudi Arabia Will Host the 2034 World Cup and Their Stadiums Look Insane

Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host in 2030, with centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Four years later, Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup 2034™. pic.twitter.com/WdOEdNEVxH

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 11, 2024

While there was an unspoken understanding that the 2030 tournament would be hosted by the trio of neighboring countries, with an added incentive of the first three soccer games also being played in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the first World Cup, Saudi Arabia will be the sole host in 2034.

What Does Saudi Arabia Have In Store for Soccer Fans?

Emerging as the sole bidder to host the 2034 World Cup, the Saudi project has been centered on making this a tournament all soccer fans will remember. With all countries participating in the FIFA Congress voting on both the 2030 and 2034 bids in one vote, it was an easy road for the Arabic kingdom to get their chance to host the biggest soccer tournament in the world.

This is our vision, this is our dream 🇸🇦#GrowingTogether#Saudi2034bid pic.twitter.com/tq6XhPNWg4

— Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034™️ (@Saudi2034) December 11, 2024

Dodging criticism for potential human rights violations toward workers scheduled to build the state-of-the-art stadiums and fans potentially heading to the Middle East for the tournament, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has made it a point to reassure everybody that everybody involved in the production and experience of the 2034 tournament will be provided with a safe, fair, and welcoming environment.

Touching back on the stadiums for a second, Saudi Arabia has pledged to build 15 truly mind-boggling and beautiful stadiums across five cities in its kingdom to host the 48 participating national teams.

At the top of the list, King Salman International Stadium in the kingdom’s capital of Riyadh, which can easily be considered a future architectural and sporting landmark, will be the tournament’s main attraction.

#DiscoverSaudi | Saudi Arabia has revealed plans for 15 stadiums to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, spread across Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and the futuristic mega-city, The Line. The lineup includes:

11 new stadiums with unique designs inspired by local culture and nature.… pic.twitter.com/lZVDo4MPOp

— Saudi Business Council (@SASPJBC) December 11, 2024

Set to host the opening and final game of the World Cup, the initial renders of the 92,760-seat stadium can make any sports fan want to start looking at ticket prices for Saudi Arabia and ponder future betting odds for the tournament.

If CR7 Is Excited, Everybody Else Should Be as Well

Saudi Arabia’s sporting scene has seen a surprising upsurge in the past few years, with events such as Formula 1 races, boxing and MMA events, and tennis and golf tournaments.

The country’s Public Investment Fund has also strongly influenced the kingdom’s recent rise to sports prominence, setting up the LIV Golf Tournament and purchasing historic English Premier League side Newcastle United.

Aggressively moving towards strengthening its professional soccer league, Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival marked a before-and-after for Saudi soccer, thus helping the Arabic bid gain even more strength and influencing the bid’s final push to victory.

Congratulations to all my friends in Saudi, I know how proud you all are today and I am sure @Saudi2034 will be historic 🇸🇦🏆#WelcomeToSaudi34 pic.twitter.com/m0GB1O2R4w

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) December 11, 2024

With soccer fans all starting to divert their attention to the coming 2026 World Cup odds at BetUS, a tournament hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, for now, it’s on Saudi Arabia to celebrate their bid being accepted and getting to work on preparing to host what could be a life-changing World Cup tournament.