FIFA 2034 World Cup - Saudi Arabia

[stryker]

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1141408/fifa-world-cup-2030

Now that 2030 is awarded, FIFA has said 2034 will go to either Asia, Oceania, or both. I'd say the early favorite is China (including Hong Kong) with a joint Australia/New Zealand bid a close second. Indonesia's stance on Israel makes them a non-starter. I'm sure the Saudis will throw their financial weight around, but Xi and the CCP have more than enough cash and clout to derail another Mideast bid.

Edited January 16, 2024 by Sir Rols

[Sir Rols]

1 hour ago, stryker said:

Indonesia's stance on Israel makes them a non-starter.

That’s something they can easily paper over with some creative management of pool placements. It’s not like it’s stopped FIFA awarding other tournaments tro Indonesia. I think bringing in Indonesia, if not others in SE Asia,  is essential if Oz-NZ is to stand a chance and go rogue against the sheiks’ AFC leadership’s wishes.

[Sir Rols]

And now I’ve just seen this:

Australia given 25-day deadline to challenge Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid

So, FIFA have decreed an October 31 deadline to lodge bids for 2034. How blatant can another FIFA-Gulf swindle be????? 

[baron-pierreIV]

The big elephant in the 2034 FIFA room is China.  Big, bad China -- if they haven't invaded and subjugated Taiwan by force then, doesn't need anyone else to launch a FIFA World Cup bid.  That would be a hard argument to buck w/ something like Qatar II, Saudi Arabia, so desperate to host another World Cup.  Why would FIFA do another desert World Cup?  (Well, of course, aside from $$.)  But by 2027 when it's time to choose 2034, China will all of a sudden forgive all the debts owed by a myriad African countries for the votes for China for 2034.  Cat in the bag!! 

Edited October 5, 2023 by baron-pierreIV

[Rob2012]

1 hour ago, Sir Rols said:

And now I’ve just seen this:

Australia given 25-day deadline to challenge Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid

So, FIFA have decreed an October 31 deadline to lodge bids for 2034. How blatant can another FIFA-Gulf swindle be????? 

Lol, as if there weren't already enough red flags for Australia after yesterday's announcement.

Steer. Well. Clear.

[yoshi]

Come on, they've already awarded it to Saudi, the deals are done - it couldn't be much more obvious. Genuinely wouldn't be surprised if there's an official announcement out of the blue before the end of the year. The only question is whether the PIF will actually try to purchase FIFA outright while they're here, golf-style...

[stryker]

6 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

That’s something they can easily paper over with some creative management of pool placements. It’s not like it’s stopped FIFA awarding other tournaments tro Indonesia. I think bringing in Indonesia, if not others in SE Asia,  is essential if Oz-NZ is to stand a chance and go rogue against the sheiks’ AFC leadership’s wishes.

Just curious what you mean about pool placements? I assume that means trying to make it as difficult as possible for Israel to qualify in the first place. FIFA only awarded the U17 WC when it was clear Israel didn't qualify.  FIFA doesn't want to deal eith the prospect of Israel qualifying for the big one and the Indonesia does a U turn and says they aren't welcome. FIFA would be powerless at that point.

 

5 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

The big elephant in the 2034 FIFA room is China.  Big, bad China -- if they haven't invaded and subjugated Taiwan by force then, doesn't need anyone else to launch a FIFA World Cup bid.  That would be a hard argument to buck w/ something like Qatar II, Saudi Arabia, so desperate to host another World Cup.  Why would FIFA do another desert World Cup?  (Well, of course, aside from $$.)  But by 2027 when it's time to choose 2034, China will all of a sudden forgive all the debts owed by a myriad African countries for the votes for China for 2034.  Cat in the bag!! 

Yup and China can go all out without the cultural issues ( gender segregation and alcohol) that FIFA would have to agree to with a Saudi WC in the first place. China can also promise a safe WC without the risk of the Houthis landing a missile in a stadium during a match. 

[Australian Kiwi]

TBH at this point would love it if China threw their hat in the ring just to make FIFA sweat a bit.

Australia 2034 is toast. Such a shame.

I wonder why Saudi Arabia hasn't shown any interest in the Women's FIFA World Cup? Oh thats right, they'll be raped and executed for playing sport there.

[stryker]

1 hour ago, Australian Kiwi said:

TBH at this point would love it if China threw their hat in the ring just to make FIFA sweat a bit.

Australia 2034 is toast. Such a shame.

I wonder why Saudi Arabia hasn't shown any interest in the Women's FIFA World Cup? Oh thats right, they'll be raped and executed for playing sport there.

Not only that, women would have to dress significantly more conservatively than even in Qatar. Abayas are no longer required by law but many establishments, including hotels in Riyadh, will not admit women without them. I've already mentioned the gender segregation issue. I had a conversation with a colleague not terribly long ago about a possible Saudi WC and he said well surely FIFA could compel the Saudis to relax their laws temporarily. The answer on that is a hard no. For as liberal as some make MBS out to be, he still has to be careful not to anger the ultra-conservative Islamic clerics. That means unmarried men and women mixing at a sporting event, in a fan zone, or even in a hotel or restaurant is a no go. I'd also suspect that very few women outside of Saudi women would actually attend the WC. For the Saudi Grand Prix over 70 percent of the audience in the stands were men. I'd expect that pattern to hold for a WC.

If China throws their hat in the Saudis are done, and I could see President Xi making the announcement about a Chinese bid personally and right before the deadline.

[SportLightning]

5 hours ago, Australian Kiwi said:

I wonder why Saudi Arabia hasn't shown any interest in the Women's FIFA World Cup? Oh thats right, they'll be raped and executed for playing sport there.

Right now, they are focusing on the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup which they are bidding for.

[Australian Kiwi]

2 hours ago, SportLightning said:

Right now, they are focusing on the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup which they are bidding for.

Women are currently banned from playing most sports, and entering sports stadiums (these overarching laws that enable this was renewed as recently as last year).

[Rob2012]

Why are they bothering? Steer well clear of this rigged process.

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Rob2012

[Sir Rols]

Just moving this here as more appropriate 

11 hours ago, stryker said:

No chance. The ultra conservative clerics will not allow it. That ranks right up rhere with the idea that stadiums in Mecca and Medina could be used given both cities are closed to non-Muslims.

This will be a dry WC, a gender segregated WC, and likely one where female spectators must dress conservatively if not be required to wear the abaya

I do wonder if the events in Israel might be causing FIFA to think "ok how much do we need to pay off the refs in the Israeli qualifiers to make sure they don't qualify."

China is still the wild card here. If they decide to bid they'd be the prohibitive favorite. If they decide to do so I think they will wait until the end of the Asian Games and Xi, one who likes the spotlight,will make the announcement. 

We all know the concerns about Saudi Arabia, and I’m pretty sure a straw poll here or elsewhere would show a lot of people share those misgivings.

But whether Oz-NZ or China or whoever put in last minute spoiler bids or not, it’s pretty clear FIFA and Infantino are enamoured of their new ever-full ATM and are doing anything they can, quite blatantly, to ease their way and throw up obstacles to anyone else. It’s not a case of FIFA being willing to settle for Saudi - they WANT them… desperately. 

[yoshi]

This is all so blatantly rigged for Saudi, I do genuinely wonder whether the Saudi PIF (of Newcastle fame) is inching (or more likely steaming) towards a full scale purchase of FIFA as an entity, or at least a purchase of its rights, media etc. Would explain a lot of FIFA's and Saudi's actions around this, the Club World Cup and the ESL when that was live...

[Guilga]

FIFA and Saudi Arabia just said hold my beer to Coates, and that´s really amusing.

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, Guilga said:

FIFA and Saudi Arabia just said hold my beer to Coates, and that´s really amusing.

Absolutely. This is making Coates' anointment of Brisbane look positively holy. 

[Sir Rols]

A pretty good summary of the situation

Australia’s best chance to host the 2034 football World Cup is an improbable upset

[iceman530]

As someone else said, Saudi Arabia was already awarded it.  It's already over.  We all know this.  

UAE 2038, Oman 2042 I reckon follow suit.

[yoshi]

You've given me a horrible thought about the motivation behind the 2030 carveup -  what if they wanted to hold it in three continents, spreading it as wide as possible... because it'll be the last ever World Cup not held in Saudi Arabia? Will Saudi settle for just one, the same as Qatar had? 

[Bear]

The only realistic time slot in 2034 for Saudi Arabia to host would be October-November, as the early months of the year are taken up by the Winter Olympics/Paralympics, the summer would be too hot, and then they have the Asian Games scheduled in late November / early December, and the Asian Para Games (assuming they also host it) after.

Weather in Riyadh in October can reach around 95F, 98F in Jeddah, 99F in Dammam, etc., not very good, but there isn't any alternative time slot. This alone should have killed their chances (besides the other obvious factors). But we all know how FIFA is...

[Sir Rols]

27 minutes ago, Bear said:

The only realistic time slot in 2034 for Saudi Arabia to host would be October-November, as the early months of the year are taken up by the Winter Olympics/Paralympics, the summer would be too hot, and then they have the Asian Games scheduled in late November / early December, and the Asian Para Games (assuming they also host it) after.

Weather in Riyadh in October can reach around 95F, 98F in Jeddah, 99F in Dammam, etc., not very good, but there isn't any alternative time slot. This alone should have killed their chances (besides the other obvious factors). But we all know how FIFA is...

That would be a bonus as far as Infantino’s concerned. Think about it, who is that gonna piss off? The European clubs and UEFA. What’s Infantino’s power base? All the rest of the world who love it when Infantino sticks it up UEFA.

[Sir Rols]

I still can't shake the notion that it's futile, but this is the only way we might, just might, be able to block the Saudis

Indonesia in discussion with Australia, Malaysia and Singapore for 2034 FIFA World Cup

[Australian Kiwi]

3 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

I still can't shake the notion that it's futile, but this is the only way we might, just might, be able to block the Saudis

Indonesia in discussion with Australia, Malaysia and Singapore for 2034 FIFA World Cup

Agree - our four nations could do it superbly. 

However as much as it pains me to admit it I feel like a combined ASEAN bid comprising Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam might have been more practical. 

[Sir Rols]

[Guilga]

Well, Coates must be envyius now.