Saudi Arabia’s sporting dreams grow, will host 2034 FIFA World Cup and also bid for 2036 Olympics

The FIFA (world football body) will on Wednesday confirm hosts of the World Cup for 2030 and 2034. No surprises, really, since the 20230 gala will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal. The bigger surprise is how Saudi Arabia will run away with the ball for 2034. It may seem the FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia is a decade away, but the way FIFA does planning is vastly different. How the 2024 World Cup got one bid only and will be officially a sealed deal is no mystery.

If one goes through the presentation made by Saudi Arabia to FIFA, it is a thorough job done by professionals. Everything has been detailed and expectations will be met. And for those who thought football was the preserve of Europe and South America, its explosive growth in Asia and even the Arab world has been phenomenal. It is almost two years since the last FIFA World Cup was hosted by Qatar with Doha as the main venue. There were a few issues pertaining to LGBTQ and alcohol near the stadia. But that is the way it is in many countries, where religion and rules have to be respected.

Indeed, the growth of Saudi Arabia as a sporting nation is increasing. The kind of money they are pumping in is massive. Everyone knows, how much they splurged on CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) to play for All Nassr club. Ronaldo is happy to play in Saudi Arabia as well as for his nation Portugal. Whether he will be there with the Portugal team in the 2026 World Cup is too early to say. Definitely, Saudi Arabia would have used him as a brand ambassador to showcase him for the 2034 bid.

What is the charm of sport in Saudi Arabia, one may well ask. When off-shore cricket began in UAE and Sharjah hosted the CBFS series in the 80s, it was a massive success. Sheikhs splurging money on ODI cricket was a great thrill as players from India and Pakistan were on view. The kind of purses given to players who had retired was massive. That is before the IPL came into existence. At the same time, the CBFS Series also had its glamour quotient with Bollywood flying down to Sharjah. Today, all the three cricket venues in the UAE, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are rated highly. The ICC headquarters is also in Dubai.

So, if Saudia is the next go-to destination, the world is watching them take rapid strides. When Saudis started funding the LIV Golf, it was big money. Many pro golfers could not refuse the money being offered, even though the PGA saw it as a rival. LIV Golf is in good health which also will have the backing from the next President of the USA, Donald Trump. He has designer golf courses in the USA and a few more countries, so LIV Golf will rock further.

The way Riyadh has hosted two big sporting events recently, the WTA Finals and the IPL auction, it has become a great destination. In coming years as well, there will be an increase in sporting activity. As far as the FIFA World Cup is concerned, they will be unleashing such fantastic stadia with air conditioning, it will leave people in a daze. Anyone who wants to see the presentation the Saudis made to FIFA will agree they are looking at something out of the world.

Hang on, the Saudi dream does not stop here. They have also thrown their hat into the ring for hosting the 2036 Olympics. India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and even South Africa are hopefuls for the 2036 Summer Olympics. If splurging money and building legacy can go hand in hand, Saudi Arabia will do it. For those who think the IOC (International Olympic Committee) looks at only tradition in awarding Olympics to a host city or nation, since, now more than one city is used, Saudi Arabia cannot be ignored. The IOC is a rich club and with a change at the helm in January 2025, it will be interesting. President Thomas Bach’s term comes to an end and there is massive speculation who the next President will be. One has seen in the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) what kind of a strong presence the oil-rich nations have. So, for Saudi Arabia to dream next about an Olympics in 2036 is realistic.  By the way, India is also very serious about the 2036 Olympics but if money comes into play, Saudis are infinitely stronger.