[ad_1]
Saudi Arabia emerged on Tuesday as the likely winner in the shortened race to host soccer’s World Cup in 2034, after Australia’s soccer federation announced it would not bid for the tournament. The decision has most likely removed the only obstacle in Saudi Arabia’s plan to bring the world’s most-watched sporting event back to the Gulf.
Australia announced its decision hours before the deadline set by football’s governing body FIFA for nations to express interest in hosting the World Cup. Saudi Arabia made clear its intention to run weeks ago, and the rules of FIFA (and its powerful allies) have all but ensured that it will prevail.
In a sudden and surprising move earlier this month, FIFA announced a truncated bidding schedule for the tournament, telling interested nations they had just 25 days to formally express their interest and provide extensive statements of government support for a tournament. 48 teams in multiple cities that typically requires billions of dollars and years of planning.
The decision to shorten that timeline to just a few weeks was announced on the same day that FIFA formally announced that its 2030 World Cup would be shared by countries in Europe, Africa and South America.
FIFA’s decision to fast-track the 2034 bid surprised many as it came 11 years before the tournament was scheduled to start and three years before the 2034 host was supposed to be decided. FIFA also said it would only They could consider candidates from Asia and Oceania, two of the six regional football confederations, for the selection.
Saudi Arabia, which for years had made public its desire to host the World Cup, particularly after its neighbor Qatar won the rights to the 2022 championship, moved quickly to secure the tournament after FIFA set the rules this month. . Their de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, declared the kingdom’s intention to present its candidacy within minutes of FIFA announcing the official schedule, and within hours the Saudis had received the backing of Asian soccer leaders.
Australia, widely considered an outsider, had said that after successfully hosting this year’s Women’s World Cup it would explore the idea of boosting the men’s tournament. But on Tuesday she announced that she had decided not to officially run and would instead focus on organizing other events.
“We wish FIFA and the eventual hosts of the 2034 FIFA World Cup every success for the sake of the game and all who love our sport,” the Australian federation said in a statement on its website.