This Wednesday, FIFA officially announced Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 World Cup. The choice was practically defined since last year, when Australia and Indonesia did not formalize the proposal to hold the event jointly. After the World Cup in Qatar, in 2022, this will be the second edition in the Middle East, and the third in Asia. Previously, South Korea and Japan hosted the main national team tournament in 2002, when Brazil won the penta.
At the same meeting, held this Wednesday, FIFA also made official the multiple venues for the 2030 World Cup. The event will be held by six countries, on three different continents, but with games predominating in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will host one game each, right at the beginning, in reference to the 100th anniversary of the first edition of the World Cup, played on Uruguayan soil in 1930.
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In the case of the 2034 World Cup, the Saudi country achieved its biggest victory in the world of sports. Hosting the World Cup is part of Saudi Vision 2030, a megaproject in Saudi Arabia that combines entertainment and tourism with the aim of diversifying the country’s economy, with its vast wealth in fossil fuels. The acclaim is considered a great victory for the government, which for at least two years has dedicated itself to investing oil money to become a sporting powerhouse.
The Arab country’s main commodity serves as fuel for a project to strengthen local football to improve the nation’s image among the international community, a practice known as sportwashing.
Saudi Arabia’s candidacy was criticized because the country has a history of reporting human rights violations. One of the concerns is the increase in cases of abuse in the construction sector.
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In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), managed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, acquired 80% of the shares of Newcastle, England, for 300 million pounds (around R$2.2 billion) and, more recently, bought the country’s four main clubs: Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly. After seducing world football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Benzema, the icing on the cake was the opportunity to host a World Cup.
As with the Qatar Cup, there is an expectation that the tournament will be held between the months of November and December, a period in which the strong heat in the region cools down. According to the official document sent to FIFA, the average temperature in Riyadh in the month of July, the traditional World Cup calendar, is 38 degrees. On strong sunny days, thermometers can exceed 45 degrees. In December, the marker average drops to 17 degrees. It is worth remembering that the stadiums in Qatar had an air conditioning system even though the competition was being held at the end of the year.
In total, 15 stadiums will host World Cup matches. Eight will be built from scratch, the same number of arenas that the capital Riyadh will have during the competition. Jeddah will have four, while Neom, Abha and Al-Khobar will have one each. The expectation is that all World Cup venues will be delivered by 2032.
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The most audacious project is the King Salman International Stadium, also in Riyadh, with capacity for 92 thousand people. The venue will host the opening game and the final, as well as becoming the official home of the Saudi national team after the World Cup.
Another project that stands out for its grandeur is the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arena, a futuristic arena project that aims to “reinvent the traditional concept of a stadium”. Located on the top of a 200-meter mountain in Qiddiya, 35 kilometers from Riyadh, the venue will have capacity for 47,000 people, as well as a retractable roof and lawn, allowing functionality for different events. It will be covered by LED panels, in addition to having a rainwater collection system that cools the air conditioning and multipurpose features.
