FIFA to announce WC 2034 host country on Dec. 11: SAFF

Yasser Almisehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)

Saudi Arabia will be the first country to host the football World Cup in the new format, Yasser Almisehal, President of Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), said in a press conference on the Kingdom’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034.

The Kingdom will deliver the best version of the tournament in 2034, Almisehal noted, adding that the host country will officially be announced on Dec. 11.

He added that there is harmonious collaboration among all government sectors to ensure the success of the bid, noting that the Kingdom will work on preparing a strong team to for the tournament.

During the conference, Hammad Albalawi, head of the SAFF bid unit, said the opening and final matches of the World Cup 2034 will be held in Riyadh, adding that the tournament dates have not been determined yet, and there will be discussions with FIFA in this regard.

A FIFA team will soon visit the host cities as part of the bid evaluation process, Albalawi said.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 will help create several job opportunities for Saudis, the bid chief said, noting that 10 cities will host the teams during the tournament.