Saudi Arabia officially became the only bidder to host the men’s 2034 World Cup on Tuesday, 31 October, following Australia’s decision not to submit a proposal. The selection procedure was limited to countries from Oceania and Asia, which favored Saudi Arabia’s chances. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman swiftly declared the kingdom’s intention to bid moments after FIFA’s announcement of opening the bidding process. Within hours, the Saudis gained the support of influential figures in Asian football, including Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who announced the unity of the “entire Asian football family” in favor of the Saudi bid. Football Australia, the regulating body of Australian football, issued a statement on Tuesday announcing their decision not to submit a bid for the 2034 competition shortly before FIFA’s 1 November deadline. Australian officials concluded that challenging Saudi Arabia for the majority of FIFA’s 211 federation votes would be an uphill battle. The President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al Misehal, declared, “The 2034 FIFA World Cup is our invitation to the world to witness Saudi Arabia’s development, experience its culture, and become part of its history.” In…
