2034 WC set for Saudi as Australia opts out of bid

Australia’s football association have announced that they will not bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the tournament.

FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament, with an Oct. 31 deadline for national associations to confirm their interest in being hosts. Football Australia boss James Johnson had previously expressed interest in bidding for 2034 but the governing body said it would focus on bids for other international competitions.

“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,” Football Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia announced it would bid for 2034 only minutes after FIFA’s invitation for bids from Asia and Oceania earlier this month.

The president of the Asian Football Confederation, the sport’s continental governing body to which Australia belongs, hailed Saudi Arabia’s bid and said “the entire Asian football family” would stand united in support of it.

Football Australia’s hopes of following this year’s Women’s World Cup, co-hosted with New Zealand, appeared dead in the water as soon as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the Saudi bid.

There had appeared a glimmer of hope when Indonesia’s football association flagged interest in a joint bid with Australia earlier this month, but that faded when they backed Saudi Arabia days later.

Australia will instead attempt to secure hosting rights for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, the latter a tournament Saudi Arabia has also bid for.

“We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup,” Football Australia said.

“Achieving this — following the Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 and with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games — would represent a truly golden decade for Australian football.”

Football Australia said that would be “underpinned by the opportunity for our men’s and women’s teams to compete at major tournaments” — both World Cups, Asian Cups, Olympics and under-20 World Cups.

Last time Australia attempted to host a men’s World Cup, the $46 million bid to host the 2022 tournament received just one vote of support.

Only Asia or Oceania could bid for 2034 after FIFA accepted only one candidate for 2030: a six-country bid spread across three confederations: Europe, Africa and South America.

The Spain-Portugal bid grew to add Morocco this year and now plans to have one game played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Information from Reuters and AAP contributed to this report