FIFA has officially announced Saudi Arabia as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup following an Extraordinary Congress meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting also confirmed Morocco, Spain, and Portugal as hosts for the 2030 World Cup, with celebratory matches set to take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, following Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 edition. The 2034 tournament will be the first-ever 48-team competition held in a single country.
Matches are set to take place across 15 stadiums in five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom. Riyadh’s King Salman Stadium, currently under construction, will boast a 92,000-spectator capacity and is anticipated to host both the opening and final matches.