{"id":118464,"date":"2024-12-11T20:49:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T20:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/fifa-names-saudi-arabia-as-2034-world-cup-host-spain-portugal-and-morocco-to-co-host-2030-edition-the-associated-press\/"},"modified":"2024-12-11T20:49:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T20:49:09","slug":"fifa-names-saudi-arabia-as-2034-world-cup-host-spain-portugal-and-morocco-to-co-host-2030-edition-the-associated-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/fifa-names-saudi-arabia-as-2034-world-cup-host-spain-portugal-and-morocco-to-co-host-2030-edition-the-associated-press\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA names Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host; Spain, Portugal and Morocco to co-host 2030 edition – The Associated Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stand for the anthem prior to opening soccer match of the 2018 World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 14, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky\/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
Saudi Arabia fans cheer as they hold pictures of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia before their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asia qualifying soccer match against Australia at the Prince Muhammad bin Fahd Stadium in the eastern port city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar, File)
The trophy is displayed on the pitch ahead of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner, File)
A sign of the soccer association FIFA is seen at the headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Michael Buholzer\/Keystone via AP)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, applauds during the medals ceremony after the Soccer Club World Cup final match between Manchester City FC and Fluminense FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
Spain\u2019s Alvaro Morata holds the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo\/Frank Augstein, File)
Morroco fans light flares during a men\u2019s semifinal soccer match between Morocco and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo\/Daniel Cole, File)
Saudi Arabia\u2019s Salem Al-Dawsari is congratulated after scoring his side\u2019s second goal during a World Cup Group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo\/Jorge Saenz, File)
Women walk in front of a fan zone during the Soccer Club World Cup at the Jeddah Corniche in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
A soccer pitch with flags of the member states in the background is seen at the headquarters of the soccer association FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Til Buergy\/Keystone via AP)
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stand for the anthem prior to opening soccer match of the 2018 World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 14, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky\/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stand for the anthem prior to opening soccer match of the 2018 World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 14, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky\/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
Saudi Arabia fans cheer as they hold pictures of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia before their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asia qualifying soccer match against Australia at the Prince Muhammad bin Fahd Stadium in the eastern port city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar, File)
Saudi Arabia fans cheer as they hold pictures of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia before their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asia qualifying soccer match against Australia at the Prince Muhammad bin Fahd Stadium in the eastern port city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar, File)
The trophy is displayed on the pitch ahead of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner, File)
The trophy is displayed on the pitch ahead of the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner, File)
A sign of the soccer association FIFA is seen at the headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Michael Buholzer\/Keystone via AP)
A sign of the soccer association FIFA is seen at the headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Michael Buholzer\/Keystone via AP)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, applauds during the medals ceremony after the Soccer Club World Cup final match between Manchester City FC and Fluminense FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, applauds during the medals ceremony after the Soccer Club World Cup final match between Manchester City FC and Fluminense FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
Spain\u2019s Alvaro Morata holds the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo\/Frank Augstein, File)
Spain\u2019s Alvaro Morata holds the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo\/Frank Augstein, File)
Morroco fans light flares during a men\u2019s semifinal soccer match between Morocco and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo\/Daniel Cole, File)
Morroco fans light flares during a men\u2019s semifinal soccer match between Morocco and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo\/Daniel Cole, File)
Saudi Arabia\u2019s Salem Al-Dawsari is congratulated after scoring his side\u2019s second goal during a World Cup Group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo\/Jorge Saenz, File)
Saudi Arabia\u2019s Salem Al-Dawsari is congratulated after scoring his side\u2019s second goal during a World Cup Group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo\/Jorge Saenz, File)
Women walk in front of a fan zone during the Soccer Club World Cup at the Jeddah Corniche in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
Women walk in front of a fan zone during the Soccer Club World Cup at the Jeddah Corniche in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez, File)
A soccer pitch with flags of the member states in the background is seen at the headquarters of the soccer association FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Til Buergy\/Keystone via AP)
A soccer pitch with flags of the member states in the background is seen at the headquarters of the soccer association FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Til Buergy\/Keystone via AP)
ZURICH (AP) \u2014 Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed Wednesday by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men\u2019s soccer, giving the oil-rich kingdom its biggest prize yet for massive spending on global sports<\/a><\/span> driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich by the soccer body\u2019s president Gianni Infantino.
\u201cThe vote of the congress is loud and clear,\u201d said Infantino, who had asked officials on a bank of screens to clap their hands at head level to show their support.
The decision was combined with approving the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games.
AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on the FIFA World Cup host for 2034.
The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930.
The decisions complete a mostly opaque 15-month bid process which Infantino helped steer toward Saudi Arabia without a rival candidate, without taking questions, and which human rights groups warn<\/a><\/span> will put the lives of migrant workers at risk.
\u201cWe look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world,\u201d Prince Mohammed said in a statement. <\/p>\n

FIFA and Saudi officials have said hosting the 2034 tournament can accelerate change, including more freedoms and rights for women, with Infantino on Wednesday calling the World Cup a \u201cunique catalyst for positive social change and unity.\u201d
\u201cI fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process, and deliver a World Cup that meets the world\u2019s expectations,\u201d the FIFA president said.
An international collective of rights groups said FIFA made a \u201creckless decision\u201d to approve Saudi Arabia without getting public assurances, and the Football Supporters Europe group said<\/a><\/span> it was \u201cthe day football truly lost its mind.\u201d
A fast-track path to victory<\/a><\/span> was cleared last year by FIFA accepting the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup<\/a><\/span>. It meant only soccer federations in Asia and Oceania were eligible for the 2034 contest, and FIFA gave countries less than four weeks to declare a bid. Only Saudi Arabia did.
The win will kick off a decade of scrutiny on Saudi labor laws and treatment of workers<\/a><\/span> mostly from South Asia needed to help build and upgrade 15 stadiums, plus hotels and transport networks ahead of the 104-game tournament.
Amnesty International said awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia represents \u201ca moment of great danger\u201d for human rights.
\u201cFIFA\u2019s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,\u201d said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International\u2019s Head of Labor Rights and Sport.\u201d
One of the stadiums is planned to be 350 meters (yards) above the ground in Neom \u2014 a futuristic city that does not yet exist \u2014 and another named for the crown prince<\/a><\/span> is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh.
During the bid campaign, FIFA has accepted limited scrutiny of Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record that was widely criticized this year at the United Nations<\/a><\/span>.
Saudi and international rights groups and activists warned FIFA it has not learned the lessons of Qatar\u2019s much-criticized preparations to host the 2022 World Cup.
\u201cAt every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham,\u201d Cockburn said.
The kingdom plans to spend tens of billion of dollars on projects related to the World Cup as part of the crown prince\u2019s sweeping Vision 2030 project that aims to modernize Saudi society and economy. At its core is spending on sports by the $900 billion sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund, which he oversees. Critics have called it \u201csportswashing\u201d of the kingdom\u2019s reputation.
The prince, known as MBS, has built close working ties to Infantino since 2017 \u2014 aligning with the organizer of sport\u2019s most-watched event rather than directly confronting the established system as it did with the disruptive LIV Golf project<\/a><\/span>.
The result for Saudi Arabia and FIFA has been smooth progress toward the win Wednesday with limited pushback<\/a><\/span> from soccer officials, though some from women international players.
The steady flow of Saudi cash into international soccer is set to increase.
FIFA created a new and higher World Cup sponsor category for state oil firm Aramco<\/a><\/span>, and Saudi funding is set to underwrite the 2025 Club World Cup<\/a><\/span> in the United States that is a pet project for Infantino.
North American soccer body CONCACAF signed a multi-year deal with PIF, Saudi stadiums host Super Cup games for Italy and Spain, and nearly 50 FIFA member federations have signed working agreements with Saudi counterparts.
Lavish spending by PIF-owned Saudi clubs<\/a><\/span> in the past two years buying and paying players \u2013 including Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a><\/span>, Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Man\u00e9<\/a><\/span> \u2013 put hundreds of millions of dollars into European soccer.
That influence could be key in talks to agree which months to play the 2034 World Cup. The November-December slot taken by Qatar in 2022 to avoid extreme midsummer heat is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games.
Still, January 2034 could be an option \u2014 and likely better for European clubs and leagues \u2014after the International Olympic Committee said<\/a><\/span> it saw few issues in clashing with the Salt Lake Winter Games opening Feb. 10, 2034. The IOC also has a major commercial deal with Saudi Arabia<\/a><\/span>, to host the new Esports Olympics.
AP soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/soccer<\/a><\/span>
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

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Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stand for the anthem prior to opening soccer match of the 2018 World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 14, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky\/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-118464","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}