Saudi Arabia Closer to Hosting the 2034 World Cup

The Australian Football Federation announced today, Tuesday, that the country will not bid to host the men's World Cup in 2034 after considering "all factors." FIFA has called on local federations in Asia and Oceania to submit bids to host the tournament, with a deadline set for today. Australian Federation President James Johnson had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2034 edition, but the federation indicated it would focus on hosting the Women's Asian Cup in 2026 and the Club World Cup in 2029. The federation stated: "We explored the opportunity to bid for the men's World Cup, and after considering all factors, we concluded not to do so for the 2034 edition." Saudi Arabia has become a strong candidate to host the football World Cup in 2034, as it announced that it would submit a bid just minutes after FIFA's call for bids from Asia and Oceania earlier this month. The president of the Asian Football Confederation, to which Australia belongs, praised the Saudi bid and stated that "the entire Asian football family will support this bid."