The 2034 World Cup hosts are set to be confirmed by October 2024 at the earliest, amid widespread expectation – and some criticism within the game – that Saudi Arabia will win the rights.
Fifa launched the bidding contest for the competition on Friday, giving member associations until 31 October to confirm their interest. It already represents a streamlined process, with the 2034 event only open to countries from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation. That comes after Tuesday’s announcement that the 2030 event would be played across three continents in Morocco-Portugal-Spain, with the opening three games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to reflect the centenary of the first World Cup.
