RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's path to hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup began as a long shot, with initial estimates giving the Kingdom no more than 1% chance of success. But years of strategic planning, diplomatic engagements, and infrastructure investment transformed that slim probability into a certainty, culminating in Saudi Arabia securing the tournament. The turning point came in 2018, after the FIFA World Cup in Russia, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the opening match. It was during this time that he first unveiled to his ministers and advisors his ambition for the Kingdom to host the World Cup. Shortly after, he convened a high-level meeting to assess the feasibility of the bid. At the time, FIFA's rotation policy meant that the earliest realistic opportunity would be in 2042. Officials, speaking on MBC's Hikayat Waad (Promise Story) program in two episodes, recalled the early discussions about the possibility of hosting the tournament, initially considering a joint bid with Egypt and Greece for 2030 before shifting focus to a solo bid for the 2034 World Cup. Minister of State Mohammed Al-Sheikh, who played a key role in the bid, recalled that early discussions focused on the challenges ahead, but the leadership remained committed to overcoming them. "The challenges made it seem impossible," Al-Sheikh said. "But the directive was clear: Find a way to make it happen." Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said Saudi Vision 2030 was instrumental in accelerating preparations, allowing the Kingdom to meet 90% of FIFA's hosting requirements even before launching the bid. "The projects outlined in Vision 2030 were already building the infrastructure we needed," he said. "This gave us a strong foundation to push forward with confidence." Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari recalled that in the bid's early stages, international advisors saw Saudi Arabia's chances as minimal. "At the beginning of our meetings, the estimates were between 1% and 2%," he said. "But the Crown Prince was convinced that we can succeed." Assistant Minister of Sports Adwa Al-Arifi emphasized the extensive coordination that went into the bid. "More than 200 entities were involved, and we consulted with international experts who had experience organizing past World Cups," she said. "From the beginning, the question was never if we could host, but how." She also revealed that the initial proposal considered a joint bid with other nations. "At one point, the discussions explored a co-hosted World Cup," she said. "But as we assessed our progress, it became evident that Saudi Arabia alone met FIFA's requirements." A decisive moment came when Saudi Arabia's bid secured overwhelming international support. Within 48 hours of announcing its intention to host the World Cup in October 2023, 100 football federations had pledged their backing. "The support we received left little room for any competitors," Al-Arifi said. "It became clear that any other bid would struggle to match our level of preparation and backing." Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, who spearheaded the bid's coordination, underscored the importance of early engagement. "Other countries were interested in hosting, but we had been working on this for six years," he said. "By the time the process officially started, we had already secured the necessary support." Minister Al-Sheikh described the final days before the announcement as a period of intense diplomatic engagement and personal follow-ups. "There were two days of around-the-clock discussions, but by then, it was clear: Saudi Arabia was the only remaining candidate." Al-Sheikh pointed to Saudi Arabia's bid for Expo 2030 as a crucial factor in strengthening the Kingdom's credibility on the global stage. "The experience we gained from the Expo 2030 bid played a huge role," he said. "It showed the world that Saudi Arabia is serious about competing on the global stage." The successful bid goes beyond football. It reflects Saudi Arabia's growing influence on the global stage and its ability to execute large-scale international projects. In December, 2024, the Extraordinary FIFA Congress 2024 announced officially Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia will become the first country in the world hosting the FIFA World Cup in its new format featuring 48 countries, 16 more countries compared to the previous edition of 2022 Qatar World Cup. A FIFA Bid Evaluation Report awarded the Kingdom's bid a rating of 419.8 out of 500, which is the highest technical score awarded by FIFA to any bid to host the World Cup in history.
