Dec 12,2024
FIFA has confirmed the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 men's World Cups, with a three-continent, six-nation bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal awarded the former and the latter going to Saudi Arabia.
In October last year, the global soccer governing body said there were no competing bids for the two tournaments, making today's decision at an online Extraordinary FIFA Congress little more than a formality.
Both finals were confirmed by a joint show of acclamation with no formal vote required, as FIFA stated all 211 members had "effectively cast their votes before congress".
Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbours Qatar staged the 2022 edition.
Australia and Indonesia were in talks over a joint bid for the 2034 tournament, but dropped out before Saudi was announced as the sole bidder.
Morocco, Spain and Portugal's combined proposal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six countries to mark the tournament's centenary.
The opening match of that competition will be played in Uruguay, which hosted the inaugural 1930 finals, with the next two games to be staged in Argentina and Paraguay respectively before the rest of the tournament is played in the three main co-host countries.
The decision to host the 2030 World Cup across three continents has been panned by climate activists because of the increased emissions from the extra travel required.
FIFA has said it will take measures to "mitigate the environmental impact".
The 2034 bid by Saudi Arabia has been criticised because of the country's human rights record and desert climate, much in the same way as the Qatar World Cup.
The Saudi climate will likely force FIFA to hold the tournament in the Northern Hemisphere winter, just like it did in Qatar, where the event took place from late November to mid-December.
The Norwegian Football Federation asked for its concerns to be read out before the vote and FIFA said they would 'revert' and address their concerns wth Saudi Arabia's successful bid after the congress closed.
