AFC chief keen on Saudi Arabia bid to host World Cup
Salman lays groundwork for kingdom to stage global blockbuster in 2030 or four years later
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa wants to see the region host another World Cup, in 2030 or 2034, and that “Saudi Arabia is coming in force”.
Asia has staged the World Cup twice: in South Korea and Japan in 2002 and in Qatar last year.
“I think Saudi Arabia is capable of organising a similar tournament,” Salman said.
“But we have to choose the right time: 2030 or 2034? If our chance of hosting the tournament is better in 2034, we are looking into that, and if our conditions in 2030 are better, why not?”
In 2026, when the World Cup increases to 48 teams, it will split three ways for the first time with United States, Canada and Mexico as co-hosts.
There are two multi-nation bids for 2030, one from Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and one by Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, which would return the centenary World Cup to the site of the first final, in Montevideo.
Last September, a spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Muhammad Fawzi, said his country was studying a joint bid with Saudi Arabia and Greece.
Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said in February his country had not submitted a candidacy file, but that “anything is possible”.
Salman said he wanted to make sure the AFC was united behind any bid and had support from elsewhere.
“We are coordinating with the continental federations and Fifa on the basis that we will host the 2030 or 2034 World Cup in agreement with everyone, so that when the file is presented, we must ensure that it succeeds by at least 90 per cent,” he said.
“We have 47 votes but you need more than 110 votes to host the World Cup. We must have support from other continents.”
The kingdom will host the AFC’s Women’s Cup in 2026, the Asian Cup for the first time in 2027, the multisport Asian Games in 2034, and is expected to stage the 2029 Asian Winter Games on artificial snow in the planned giant futuristic city of Neom.
It already hosts a Formula One race in Jeddah, the annual Spanish Super Cup, golf tournaments and boxing title bouts.
Portuguese football great Cristiano Ronaldo believes the Saudi Pro League he joined this season could in time become one of the top five leagues in the world.
We have 47 votes ... but you need more than 110 votes to host the World Cup
SHEIKH SALMAN, AFC PRESIDENT
The Portugal skipper joined Al-Nassr in January on a contract estimated by some media reports to be worth more than ¤200 million (HK$1.68 billion).
The 38-year-old said the quality of the Saudi competition had improved even in his short time in it.
“We are much better and the Saudi league is getting better and the next year will be even better,” he said.
“Step-by-step I think this league will be among the top five leagues in the world but they need time, players and infrastructure.”