Saudi Arabia officially launches FIFA 2034 World Cup bid

The Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) has officially launched its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, putting it on a path to become the second Middle Eastern country to host the event after Qatar.

Securing the world cup for 2034 could also be a foregone conclusion for the GCC’s biggest economy as it’s currently the only country in the bidding to host the event.

On Friday evening, the Kingdom launched its bid campaign under a slogan dubbed ‘Growing. Together’.

“Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying,” said the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Yasser Al Misehal in a statement.

“We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey. As we proved when we welcomed over 100 nationalities to the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 in Jeddah, the future is bright when we grow together,” added Al Misehal.

Introducing the #Saudi2034bid… powered by the hopes and dreams of an entire nation committed to #GrowingTogether 🇸🇦⚽️

— Saudi Arabian Football Federation (@saudiff_en) March 1, 2024

Heritage inspired logo

The big reveal of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid also included the unveiling of its new logo.

“The logo also shapes the country’s outline, with its five colors reflecting the diversity of the nation; Desert Amber, a symbol of warmth and generosity; Oasis Green representing valleys and mountains; Radiance Red drawing inspiration from the Red Sea coral reefs; Rich Lavender celebrating the blossoming wildflowers; and Sunrise Yellow marking an exciting new dawn for the nation,” said SAFF in a  press statement.

The 2034 World Cup will follow the 2030 edition, which will span three continents. The 2030 FIFA World Cup will have most of its games in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. But Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also each have a game.

As a result of having Africa, South America and Europe each hosting a 2030 World Cup game, FIFA limited the 2034 hosting to bidders from Asia and Oceania. And Saudi Arabia is currently the only bidder, meaning it’s securing of the World Cup could become a foregone conclusion.

Riyadh Boulevard City lit up in celebration of the #Saudi2034bid campain launch this evening 😍#GrowingTogether pic.twitter.com/6HbP0ZQbVh

— Saudi Arabian Football Federation (@saudiff_en) March 1, 2024