Australia Withdraws 2034 FIFA World Cup Bid, Paving the Way for Saudi Arabia’s Hosting Bid
Sydney, Oct 31: Football Australia announced on Tuesday that it will not pursue a bid to host the 2034 FIFA Men’s Football World Cup, potentially opening the door for Saudi Arabia to secure the hosting rights.
Despite its successful hosting of the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, which drew nearly two million attendees, Australia’s prospects for hosting the 2034 Men’s World Cup dimmed when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endorsed Saudi Arabia’s bid.
In a statement, Football Australia explained, “We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and – having taken all factors into consideration – we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition.”
Earlier this month, FIFA called for bids from the Asia and Oceania regions, with the goal of ensuring the best possible hosting conditions for the World Cup through confederation rotation.
Australia, however, remains determined to secure the hosting rights for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, with Saudi Arabia also vying for the latter tournament.
The statement concluded by expressing confidence in their ability to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ 2026, the world’s oldest women’s international competition, and to welcome top football teams for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
