Saudi Arabia announces bid to host World Cup in 2034

King Abdullah International Stadium at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. (@saudiFF)
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Updated 19 September 2024
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Saudi Arabia announces bid to host World Cup in 2034

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s desire to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup is a reflection of the Kingdom’s progress in all sectors

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday its intention to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Led by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the bid for 2034 intends to deliver a world-class tournament and will draw inspiration from Saudi Arabia’s ongoing social and economic transformation and the Kingdom’s deep-rooted passion for football.

Saudi Arabia’s inaugural bid is backed by the Kingdom’s growing experience of hosting world-class football events and its ongoing plans to welcome fans across the world to the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Reflecting on the intention to bid, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s desire to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup is a reflection of the Kingdom’s progress in all sectors.

The Kingdom has quickly emerged as a leading hub and an international destination for hosting major events thanks to its rich cultural heritage, economic strength, and the ambition of its people.

Under the Saudi Vision 2030, sport is playing a significant role in contributing to the country’s economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for all and holds a unique ability to unite and bring different cultures together.

A renowned host for some of the biggest global sports events since 2018, Saudi Arabia has been home to over 50 international events for both male and female athletes including football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian, esports and golf.

Saudi Arabia has qualified for the iconic tournament on six occasions since 1994 — most recently in 2022 — when the Green Falcons secured a historic victory over eventual champions Argentina.

Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki said: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation. As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.

“Through its intention to bid to host the 2034 World Cup, the Kingdom is keen to provide an unprecedented experience for everyone around the world.

“The Kingdom’s recent success in hosting major international sporting events in various games and its triumph in winning rights to host many international tournaments during the next few years is the best testimony to the distinguished position that our country has reached, making it an ideal and distinguished location for organizing an exceptional edition of the World Cup,” Prince Abdulaziz said.

Yasser Al-Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, stated: “We believe the time is right for Saudi Arabia to host the FIFA World Cup.

“Our bid is driven by a love for the game and a desire to see it grow in every corner of the world. We want to celebrate our football culture and share our country with the world.

“We are embracing Saudi Arabia’s enthusiasm for innovation and growth as we make our bid for this iconic tournament; the Kingdom’s transformation journey is the driving force behind our bid. We are committed to hosting an exceptional event that celebrates the game, captivates players and fans, and inspires future generations.

“To be in a position to bid to host a FIFA World Cup is only possible with the full support of the Kingdom’s leadership and we thank them for their continued committed to drive the country forward and open up new opportunities,” Al-Misehal added.

As the FIFA World Cup expands to a 48-team tournament from 2026 onwards, tournament logistics are front of mind for players, officials, and fans. Saudi Arabia will host all matches in the Kingdom, streamlining travel, optimizing match scheduling, and providing unique fan experiences across host venues and cities.

A young and vibrant nation with over 70 percent of its population under the age of 35, Saudi Arabia is also home to one of the strongest leagues in Asia, the Saudi Pro League. Welcoming and engaging fans from across the globe, the league is home to some of the best Saudi talent and international star players from over 45 different countries.

SAFF’s commitment to invest and grow the game at every level across the men’s and women’s game is highlighted by recent notable achievements including winning the men’s U-23 AFC Asian Cup, 160 percent increase in youth football investment, opening 18 youth regional training centers, increasing registered coaches from 750 in 2018 to over 5,500 today, and witnessing an increase of 56 percent and 86 percent in registered male and female players respectively since 2021.

Saudi Arabia’s ambition to grow the game and create new opportunities across the ecosystem is equaled in the women’s game. Since 2019, SAFF has successfully established a senior women’s and U-17 national teams, two professional women’s leagues featuring 38 clubs, and a school girls league which welcomed over 48,000 girls in its first week. In just 2 years, there has also been an 800 percent growth in the number of female coaches.


Al-Hilal win again while Ronaldo inspires Al-Nassr victory

Updated 21 January 2025
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Al-Hilal win again while Ronaldo inspires Al-Nassr victory

  • Al-Hilal defeat Al-Wehda 4-1 to stay top of the Saudi Pro League
  • Cristiano Ronaldo nets twice to help Al-Nassr to 3-1 win at Al-Khaleej

JEDDAH: Al-Hilal moved three points clear of Al-Ittihad — who are in action at home to Al-Shabab on Wednesday — and were never in danger of dropping points as they netted twice in the first 11 minutes against Al-Wehda before recording a 4-1 verdict.
After only seven minutes Al-Wehda’s goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Owaishir spilled a shot from Ruben Neves and Marcos Leonardo — in red-hot form with eight goals in the previous five games — was on hand to react first to poke the ball home from close range.
Four minutes later it was 2-0. Salem Al-Dawsari picked up possession on the left, slipped the ball into Mohamed Kanno on the edge of the area and the midfielder found Malcom on the edge of the six-yard box. The Brazilian controlled the ball with his first touch and shot home with his second.
Fans in Riyadh sat back in the expectation of more goals but Al-Wehda kept it tight and restricted the scoreline to respectable levels. Malcom added a third with eight minutes remaining and Abdullah Al-Hamdan completed the scoring after Craig Goodwin had pulled one back for Al-Wehda.
Earlier, Al-Nassr moved above Al-Qadsiah into third following a 3-1 victory over Al-Khaleej, although the Yellows are 11 points behind their Riyadh rivals.
It was goalless at the break but Al-Khaleej were already a man down as Saeed Al-Hamsal had been red carded.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring midway through the second half, shooting home from the edge of the box for his 100th goal contribution for Al-Nassr.
Al-Khaleej equalized with 10 minutes remaining through Kostas Fortounis from the spot, but Al-Nassr restored their lead almost immediately thanks to Sultan Al-Ghannam.
Ronaldo then scored his 13th of the season in the eighth minute of added time, slotting home into an empty net after an unselfish pass from Saad Haqawi. The strike put the Portuguese star into first place in the goalscoring standings above Aleksandar Mitrovic and Karim Benzema.


EA Team of the Year celebrates top football players 

Updated 12 January 2025
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EA Team of the Year celebrates top football players 

RIYADH: To celebrate the best football players of the year, EA Sports has launched Team of the Year, allowing fans to create and vote for their dream team.

Saudi Arabia’s football talent is Salem Al-Dawsari, midfielder for Al-Hilal, who has earned his place as one of TOTY’s nominees, showcasing the region’s growing impact in the world of football.

Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has also been nominated for TOTY.

Following the Italian and Spanish Super Cup matches, which were held in Riyadh and Jeddah, this year’s TOTY card lineup includes players from Italian teams AC Milan, Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus, and Spanish teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

TOTY has cards for each position — goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers — allowing fans to create the ultimate fantasy men’s or women’s football team.

The EA FC 25 TOTY vote will be closed on Jan. 12, 2025. 

For more information on Team of the Year, visit www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-25/toty 


Al-Hilal back on top as Al-Ittihad stumble

Updated 12 January 2025
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Al-Hilal back on top as Al-Ittihad stumble

  • The victory, in the first round of games as the league restarts after a month’s break, means that the champions are ahead of their Jeddah rivals

RIYADH: Al-Hilal won 5-0 win at Al-Orobah on Saturday to go top of the Saudi Pro League above Al-Ittihad, who were held to a surprise 1-1 draw at Al-Feiha.

The victory, in the first round of games as the league restarts after a month’s break, means that the champions are ahead of their Jeddah rivals on goal difference after 14 games of the season.

There was little doubt as to the outcome of the game once Ruben Neves, who returned to the Al-Hilal starting 11 after a lengthy injury lay-off, put the Riyadh giants ahead from the penalty spot after just 16 minutes.

It was one-way traffic but the Blues had to wait until three minutes after the restart to extend their lead against the newly promoted team.

Central defender Ali Al-Bulaihi has come under fire for a number of mistakes at the back but the Saudi Arabian international made no mistake as he headed home from a left-sided Sergej Milinkovic-Savic cross.

Al-Hilal kept coming. Renan Lodi made it three midway through the second half and then Marcos Leonardo added two more in quick succession to cap a perfect display for coach Jorge Jesus.

It got even better shortly after when Al-Ittihad were held to a 1-1 draw by the struggling Al-Feiha in a dramatic game.

It has been a frustrating afternoon for the Tigers who arrived looking for a 10th successive league victory, but they had only themselves to blame as they missed two penalties in the second half — the first from Karim Benzema and the second by Houssem Aouar.

They were left to rue those wasted opportunities in the first minute of injury time, as Fashion Sakala struck to put Al-Feiha in sight of what would have been only their second win of the season.

The celebrations did not last long however as just two minutes later, Fawaz Al-Sqoor equalised to earn Al-Ittihad a point that may have been disappointing on the night but could end up being crucial.

There was also a surprise defeat for Al-Qadsia who would have moved to within six points of the top had they beaten Al-Taawoun. Instead, however, they crashed to a 3-0 home defeat.

Al-Nassr stay third after their 3-1 win over Al-Okhdood while Al-Ahli are fifth after a 3-2 win over Al-Shabab, their fifth successive league victory.


We will ‘do our best’ for Barcelona’s Saudi fans, says Raphinha ahead of Spanish Super Cup start in Jeddah

Updated 08 January 2025
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We will ‘do our best’ for Barcelona’s Saudi fans, says Raphinha ahead of Spanish Super Cup start in Jeddah

  • Barcelona face Athletic Club in Wednesday’s first semifinal, with winners tackling either Real Madrid or Mallorca in the final at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah

JEDDAH: Raphinha says Barcelona are determined to repay local fans for their support by winning the Supercopa de Espana in Jeddah.

La Liga runners-up Barcelona and Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club will contest the first Supercopa semifinal on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City, with kickoff at 10 p.m. local time.

The winners will face either La Liga champions Real Madrid or Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca in Sunday’s final at the same stadium.

Barcelona have an enormous fanbase in Saudi Arabia, a country with a thriving football culture that has been the hosts of the Supercopa de Espana since 2020.

The Catalans are sure to enjoy the majority of the support in Jeddah on Wednesday evening and Raphinha wants to ensure their fans are treated to a spectacle.

Raphinha, 28, said: “I would like to thank them for the love. We know how difficult it is for fans to be able to go to Barcelona and watch one of our games there, so to be able to come here, play in a semifinal and (possibly) a final is great, it’s exciting. What we can do is appreciate the love and do our best to try and win two matches.”

Raphinha arrives in Jeddah as one of Barcelona’s standout players this season, scoring 17 goals and creating 10 assists in 25 matches in all competitions.

The team, however, enter the Supercopa in mixed form. Following a blistering start to the season, Barcelona have lost three of their last seven matches, including consecutive defeats in La Liga.

Barca’s pedigree in the Supercopa is unrivalled, though, having won a record 14 trophies. They last won the competition in Riyadh in 2023, and Raphinha believes success in Jeddah this week can provide a vital boost for the rest of the season.

“A title gives confidence to any team,” the Brazilian forward said. “We have to be ready to fight for everything. We have the opportunity to win the first title of the year. It will give us a lot of confidence.”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick echoed Raphinha’s comments by insisting his players are raring to go and are fully focused on achieving more Supercopa success in Saudi Arabia.

Flick said: “I can feel with the team everyone is ready for this tournament. The semifinal against Athletic is a tough match and we focus on that and not think about the days after that, only focus on this match.

“Of course, when you win titles, it’s very good for the club, very good for the team, for every player and also for us coaches, because we all work hard and train hard.”

If Barcelona are to add to their 14 Supercopas, they will need to get past extremely tough opposition, starting with semifinal opponents Athletic Club.

The Catalans edged the Basque club 2-1 in their most recent meeting at the start of the Spanish Liga season, although Athletic enter the tie with the better overall form, going unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions and winning 11.

Athletic have also won their last two Supercopa matches against Barca, claiming a 3-2 victory after extra time in the 2021 final, and a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate win in 2015 before the format was expanded to four teams.

Athletic captain Oscar De Marcos is aware of the task against Barcelona, but insists they are ready for the challenge.

“We’re looking forward to being in another semifinal,” he said. “We know we’re facing a very tough opponent, but whenever you’re close to a title you have the hope of being able to win it. We need a great game to be able to win it.”

Athletic also have stellar Supercopa experience in the dugout. Manager Ernesto Valverde has been in charge for two of Athletic’s three Supercopa triumphs, while he is familiar with the tournament in Saudi having led Barcelona in the inaugural four-team tournament in 2020.

“We are excited about the Supercopa,” the Spanish coach said. “Our intention is to make the most of our chances. We are not favorites from the start, but we have to play like it. We will give everything to win it because we have travelled here for a reason.”

On the fans in Saudi Arabia, Valverde added: “There are more Barcelona fans than our own. That’s for sure. There will be a good atmosphere and we hope people can enjoy a good match. I know it well because it was my last match with Barcelona.”

The Supercopa de Espana is being staged in Saudi Arabia as part of a long-term partnership with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which will keep the competition in the Kingdom until 2029.

 


Rajkovic, Benzema star as Al-Ittihad dump Al-Hilal out of King Cup

Updated 08 January 2025
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Rajkovic, Benzema star as Al-Ittihad dump Al-Hilal out of King Cup

  • Thriller goes to penalties after sides finish level
  • 120 minutes of football saw the sides end all-square at 2-2

RIYADH: Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Hilal 3-1 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to move into the semifinal of the King Cup after 120 minutes of action in Riyadh had ended 2-2.
Predrag Rajkovic was the hero for the Jeddah club, saving three of Al-Hilal’s penalty kicks.
The first half was an even affair, although it started badly for Al-Hilal with the Saudi Pro League’s top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic leaving the pitch after 13 minutes with what seemed to be a hamstring injury.
Three minutes later, Al-Hilal almost took the lead but Salem Al-Dawsari’s shot from just inside the penalty area hit the foot of a post.
After 26 minutes, Karim Benzema started asking questions, forcing a good save from Yassine Bounou with a curling shot from outside the area.
The French striker had the ball in the net just before the break, shooting home after Bounou had got a hand to a low shot from N’Golo Kante, but he was ruled offside.
There was still time in the first half for Benzema to shoot tamely at the Moroccan goalkeeper from close range.
The former Real Madrid star finally broke the deadlock just after the hour, just moments after Malcom had hit the post for Al-Hilal. Benzema controlled a right-sided cross from Muhannad Al-Shanqiti and then fired home from close range.
Al-Hilal were back on level terms with 18 minutes remaining. The ball fell to Salem Al-Dawsari just inside the area and the 2022 Asian Player of the Year made no mistake to shoot past Rajkovic.
The game went into extra-time and after 101 minutes Al-Hilal moved ahead for the first time. Moteb Al-Harbi produced a perfect diagonal low cross from the left to find Marcos Leonardo at the far post and the Brazilian did the rest.
However, it did not take long for Benzema to equalize, sweeping the ball high into the net from close range to take the game to penalties.
A dismal effort from Al-Hilal followed from the spot as they scored just once.
Mohamed Kanno took the first, which was saved by Rajkovic, and when Benzema scored, Al-Ittihad were in the driving seat, especially as the Serbian goalkeeper also blocked Leonardo’s attempt.
Fabinho made it 2-0 to The Tigers and after Danilo Pereira scored to make it 3-1, Malcom had to hit the back of the net for the match to stay alive but Rajkovic saved once more.
Al-Ittihad and their traveling fans celebrated as they joined Al-Qadsiah, who defeated Al-Taawoun 3-0 earlier on Tuesday, in the last four. They join Al-Shabab and Al-Raed in the semis.