The Saudi Sports Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al -Faisal, confirmed that the Kingdom will be “happier” by hosting an expanded version of the 2034 World Cup that includes 64 teams, instead of 48, if the International Football Association “FIFA” decided to proceed in this direction.
He added in his speech on the sidelines of the Formula 1 race: “We are ready, or we will be ready, God willing. If this is the vision of “FIFA”, and they found it an idea suitable for everyone, we are more than happy to present an expanded version.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup finals was confirmed last December, after making a single offer without competitors. This is the first time that the Kingdom has organized the largest football event in the world, after Qatar’s experience in 2022, at a time when it is also preparing to organize the “Asian Games 2034”.
The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first version of the tournament with the participation of 48 teams, after it was limited to 32 teams from 1998 to 2022. This increase raised the number of matches from 64 to 104 games.
While an official decision has not yet been taken to increase the number of teams in the 2034 edition to 64, the new expansion idea received increasing support among the South American Football Association (Conmipol).
In response to a question about the establishment of the World Cup 2034 in the summer, or will the World Cup model be followed and transferred to the winter due to the high temperatures in the Gulf?
Al -Faisal replied: “There is no final decision yet. There is a continuous discussion with FIFA, and they will decide the right time. We are preparing for all possibilities, and the priority for us is the experience of the masses. We want them to come in the ideal time in terms of weather and comfort. ”
