https://arab.news/9bgyb
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki al-Faisal promised to deliver “the best World Cup experience” in 2034.
In an interview with Piers Morgan on Thursday, the minister discussed Saudi Arabia’s goal to transform its domestic football league into one of the world’s top five competitions.
In July, 2024, a Saudi delegation led by the minister officially submitted the Kingdom’s bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France.
Al-Faisal said the Kingdom has been preparing for the Fifa bid for years now.
“We’ve been working tirelessly for six years, with monthly meetings with His Royal Highness [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] about details and what could work. Everything that we’re doing is part of the 2030 vision, whether we host the World Cup or not” he said.
The Kingdom plans to host matches across 15 stadiums, with eight venues in Riyadh alone. The minister said Saudi Arabia is prepared to handle the challenge of hosting a 48 team tournament and its size and infrastructure will allow for this.
“The longest that you’ll travel by plane will be two hours,” he said, adding that 60 percent of the global population is within eight hours’ flying time of Saudi Arabia.
Qatar’s 2022 World Cup was the first in the Middle East, Al-Faisal praised their efforts and commended its organization.
“They did an amazing job... but you can’t compare. Qatar was all hosted in a small territory, but when you look at Saudi, there’s travel time, there’s a lot of logistics,” he said.
The 2034 World Cup marks yet another milestone in Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on global sports, following significant investments in football, golf, and Formula One racing.