FIFA officially announces the awarding of the hosting of the 2034 World Cup to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) confirmed in an official statement on Wednesday following an exceptional virtual conference that Saudi Arabia will host the Men's World Cup in 2034, while the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with both bids approved by acclamation. This decision regarding Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup will make it the second country in the Middle East to host the tournament, following Qatar's hosting of the 2022 edition in 2023, when it was the first country in the region to host the most prestigious tournament in the world of football. FIFA initially indicated that the 2034 World Cup would take place in an Asian region, and Saudi Arabia's bid received strong support from the Asian Football Confederation. While Australia and Indonesia discussed submitting a joint bid, they ultimately withdrew. There were no challenges to the bids for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, as no other countries submitted competing proposals. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that expanding the tournament to include more countries would enhance the experience without affecting the quality of competition. However, the Norwegian Football Federation criticized the bidding process within FIFA, describing it as "flawed and inconsistent," and announced its intention to vote against granting hosting rights by acclamation in the future. For its part, FIFA explained that the 2030 World Cup will be unique, taking place across three continents and six countries. Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will host celebratory matches on the occasion of the centenary of the first World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930, while this will be the first time that Portugal, Paraguay, and Morocco host the tournament.