Saudi Arabia hosting 2034 FIFA World Cup 'basically a done deal': Report
Days after Saudi Arabia launched its official bid for hosting the 2034 World Cup, a report in DailMail quoting sources close to the matter has claimed that the kingdom hosting the quadrennial event was basically a 'done deal'.
After FIFA announced earlier this week that the 2030 World Cup will be held across six different nations, it has opened up the way for Saudi Arabia to mount a serious challenge for the hosting duties.
"A Saudi World Cup in 2034 isn't just likely, it's basically a done deal. Money has talked again, and the event will be worth billions in new cash for FIFA," the source told the publication.
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After the bid, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain pledged the support of the «entire Asian football family» behind Saudi Arabia. With the entire Africa expected to back Saudi Arabia as well, Australia, which had been mulling a bid as well, has been left disappointed.
Notably, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is also close to Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and the latter has put forth a strategic vision to turn the kingdom into a sporting destination.
According to experts, the mass exodus of football players from Europe to the kingdom this summer window was the start of the rise of Saudi Arabia on the world footballing map.
What did FIFA announce?On Thursday (October 5), FIFA announced it had reached an agreement to host the 2030 World Cup across three continents viz, South America, Africa and Europe.
While Morocco, Portugal and Spain will be the joint hosts for the marquee event, games will also be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. As a result, all six nations will automatically qualify for the World Cup.
«In 2030,
