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Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, considered that “Saudi Arabia is able to host the World Cup,” but it is necessary to “choose the right time” for his continent to host the global event in 2030 or 2034.
And while Asia has hosted the World Cup twice in its history, in 2002 in South Korea and Japan and 2022 in Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s interest in hosting the global event that takes place once every 4 years is hesitating.
In an interview with journalists in Beirut on the sidelines of his recent visit to Syria and Lebanon, the AFC president said on Monday, “Saudi Arabia is coming strongly, and we are coordinating with the continental federations and the International Federation to host the 2030 or 2034 World Cup in agreement with everyone. When the file is presented, we want to ensure its success by 90% on the least”.
And Bin Ibrahim added, “I think that Saudi Arabia is a country capable of organizing a similar tournament, but we have to choose the right time, in 2030 or 2034, according to the circumstances and success rates.”
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And with the upcoming 2026 edition being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first time in 3 countries, competition is taking place to host the 2030 edition with the emergence of a joint European-African file for Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and another South American that includes Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of The first World Cup in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.
And last September, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Muhammad Fawzi, announced that his country was studying with Saudi Arabia and Greece to run in a joint file, while the Saudi Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, revealed to Agence France-Presse in February that his country did not submit a candidacy file, confirming at the time Himself that “anything is possible”.
2030 or 2034
Ben Brahim, who was re-elected by acclamation in February for a third term until 2027, added, “As an Asian federation, we form 47 votes, while winning requires more than 110 votes. We must have the support of other continents. We coordinate the appropriate time to host this championship, whether in 2030 or 2034. It is important for us that The Saudi file will be successful when it is presented, and we assume our responsibilities, and this is a commitment from me personally, but the right time must be chosen.”
And Saudi Arabia had obtained the right to host the 2027 Asian Cup, with its file remaining alone, after the withdrawal of India, Uzbekistan and Iran. It will be the first hosting of Saudi Arabia, the defending champion 3 times (1984, 1988 and 1996), for the finals, which began in 1956.
In the coming years, Saudi Arabia will host the 2026 Asian Women’s Cup, the 2034 Asian Games, and even the 2029 Asian Winter Games on artificial snow in the giant futuristic city of Neom.
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2023-05-23 12:22:04
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