Saudi Arabia will bid to host FIFA World Cup 2034 - state news agency

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced its intention to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, state news agency SPA said on Wednesday.

Wednesday's decision by FIFA marks the first time the World Cup will be staged across three continents and six countries, which might mean group matches will have to be held in different seasons based on the hemisphere.

"The FIFA Council unanimously agreed that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot allocation subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024," FIFA said in a statement.


"Additionally, having taken into account the historical context of the first-ever FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in the country's capital, Montevideo... as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively."

The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar. Argentina are the defending champions.