Saudi Arabia launched its formal campaign to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, as announced by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) on Friday.
They unveiled the bid slogan "Growing. Together" along with a campaign logo featuring two multi-coloured ribbons forming the number 34.
"As one of the fastest and most exciting growth stories in world football, Growing. Together. seeks to capture the parallel between Saudi Arabia's rapid transformation and the positive impact hosting the tournament would have on both international football and FIFA's flagship event,” the SAFF said in a statement.
“Aspiring to become the first single host nation of a 48-team FIFA World Cup, the three pillars underpinning the bid are: Growing People. Together. – Growing Football. Together. – Growing Connections. Together,"
FIFA will vote at the end of 2024 to determine if Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. With no other competitors in the running, it's likely that the tournament will return to the Middle East after its debut in Qatar in 2022.
During the 2022 edition, the matches were held in November and December, partly due to the local weather conditions. Consequently, major European football leagues and competitions took a break.
"Telling our football story to the world is of massive importance. And we believe Growing. Together. is the perfect, yet simple description of our approach to hopefully hosting the tournament in 10 years' time," Yasser Al Misehal, president of the SAFF, said in the statement.
"Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup™ is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying. We've made unprecedented progress in both the men's and women's game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey.
“As we proved when we welcomed over 100 nationalities to the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023™ in Jeddah, the future is bright when we grow together."
The 2034 World Cup will mark the tournament's 25th edition. Preceding it, the 23rd edition will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026, featuring 48 teams for the first time.
In four years' time, for the tournament's centennial year, the 24th edition will take place in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with some matches also occurring in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the hosts of the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
