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FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.
Football’s world governing body had previously stated that the 2034 edition of the tournament would take place in Asia or Oceania.
Australia was expected to be the only country to rival Saudi Arabia, which confirmed its intention to bid in early October.
However, Australia confirmed that it has decided against submitting a rival bid just hours before Tuesday’s deadline for declarations of interest.
Instead of bidding for the World Cup, Football Australia is now set to turn attention to gaining the rights to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the Club World Cup in 2029.
Following Australia’s decision, Infantino took to social media to announce that the 2034 World Cup will be heading to Saudi Arabia.
In an Instagram post, Infantino said: “The bidding processes were approved by consensus via the FIFA Council – where all six confederations are represented – after constructive dialogue and extensive consultation. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this positive exchange.
“Football unites the world like no other sport, and the FIFA World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion, as well as providing an important illustration of how different cultures can be together and can learn and better understand one another.
“As we live in an increasingly divided and aggressive world, we show once again that football, the leading global sport, unites like nothing else.
“We all need these occasions of unity and the upcoming FIFA World Cups provide a unique force for good in this respect.”
A FIFA Congress will take place late this year to confirm the hosts for 2034 and the 2030 edition, which is set to be shared between six countries.
