Saudi Arabia supporters cheer ahead of a World Cup match in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Nov. 26, 2022.
ast November in Doha, I shared a table in a smokey hotel bar with three Saudi soccer fans basking in their nation’swinners Argentina. Bedecked in green and white, they toasted that most improbable of triumphs, while relishing in the global game’s biggest stars congregating for the first time in the Middle East. “Just you wait,” one said to me. “Saudi Arabia in 2030 will be even better than this.”
In the end, the folly came right on time though massively amplified and, it turns out, merely as fluff before the money shot. Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the 2030 tournament spread across the Atlantic, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to be lone World Cup host in 2034. The latter wason Tuesday after potential rival Australia decided against fighting the inevitable. “It is what it is,” shrugged Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson.
Saudi Arabia Faces Accusations of ‘Sportswashing.’ For Young Saudis, It’s a Chance to Enjoy New Freedomsof some $600 billion—seemed sadly inevitable. Not that world governing body FIFA put up much of a fight. After FIFA opened the floor for potential 2034 bidders in early October, Saudi Arabia declared its intent with great fanfare within minutes. Previous World Cup bids required at least seven existing stadia. For 2034, this requirement was reduced to four. Saudi Arabia had just that number.
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