World Cup
FIFA to confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts on Wednesday
FIFA is set to confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups on Wednesday, with a three-continent, six-nation bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal to be awarded the former and the latter going to Saudi Arabia.
In October last year, the global soccer governing body said there were no competing bids for the two tournaments, making Wednesday’s decision little more than a formality.
A day before the announcement it was still not clear exactly what format a vote on the decision would adopt, with acceptance by “acclamation” expected rather than a formal vote.
On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would vote against the awarding of hosting rights by acclamation and criticised FIFA’s bidding process, saying it was “flawed and inconsistent”.
BIDS
Morocco, Spain and Portugal’s combined proposal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six countries to mark the tournament’s centenary, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting celebratory games.
Uruguay hosted the first ever World Cup in 1930.
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay had in 2022 submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, but FIFA announced last year that Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay would instead each host one match during the tournament.
Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbours Qatar staged the 2022 edition.
Australia and Indonesia were in talks over a joint bid for the 2034 tournament, but dropped out before Saudi was announced as the sole bidder.
HURDLES
Both bids have already been criticised.
The decision to host the 2030 World Cup across three continents has been panned by climate activists because of the increased emissions from the extra travel required.
FIFA has said it will take measures to “mitigate the environmental impact“.
The 2034 bid by Saudi Arabia has been criticised because of the country’s human rights record and desert climate, much in the same way as the Qatar World Cup.
The Saudi climate will likely force FIFA to hold the tournament in the Northern Hemisphere winter, just like it did in Qatar, where the event took place from late November to mid-December.
That timeframe will coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with reports now suggesting the 2034 tournament could be held in January instead, risking a clash with the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
FIFA said the Saudi bid did not stipulate a proposed window and that they would collaborate with stakeholders to “determine the optimal timing”.
HUMAN RIGHTS
A World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also spark debate about the Kingdom’s record on human rights and lead to accusations of ‘sportswashing’.
Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) last month urged FIFA to halt the process to pick Saudi as hosts unless it announces major reforms before the vote.
The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, although critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, allege it is using its Public Investment Fund to sportswash its human rights record.
The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia’s bid, told Reuters this month that the country has made significant progress in human rights.
-Reuters
Nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting near England’s World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, days before the tournament is due to kick off.
Kansas City police said there were no suspects in custody and that at least three of the shooting victims were transported to local hospitals.
The incident occurred roughly four miles from where England are set to train at Swope Soccer Village. England have not arrived in Kansas City and are due to play a friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the FA declined to comment.
Gun violence is common in the United States, where there were more than 400 mass shootings in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
-Reuters
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Morocco concluded their preparations for the FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Norway in an international friendly on Sunday, showing flashes of attacking quality before being forced to withstand late pressure from the Europeans.
The Atlas Lions made a bright start and took the lead after just seven minutes through star forward Brahim Diaz. The Real Madrid attacker capitalised on space outside the penalty area to unleash a powerful strike that gave Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland no chance.
The goal marked Diaz’s first for Morocco since the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer despite the disappointment of missing a penalty in the final.
Morocco looked the more dangerous side in the opening stages and nearly doubled their advantage midway through the first half. Abdessamad Ezzalzouli connected with a teasing cross from Diaz but sent his volley narrowly off target.
The North Africans continued to threaten after the break. Diaz again tested the Norwegian defence in the 57th minute, forcing Nyland into a save before midfielder Neil El Aynaoui headed the rebound over the crossbar.
While Morocco controlled large portions of the contest, Norway gradually grew into the game and mounted sustained pressure in the closing stages. Their persistence paid off 15 minutes from then when captain Martin Odegaard finished neatly with his left foot after a clever run and assist from Oscar Bobb.
Norway almost snatched victory late on, but Kristian Thorstvedt’s header from Julian Ryerson’s free-kick drifted narrowly wide, allowing Morocco to preserve the draw.
Despite surrendering their early lead, the result offers several positives for coach Walid Regragui ahead of Morocco’s opening World Cup Group C fixture against Brazil in New York on Saturday. The Atlas Lions demonstrated their attacking threat through Diaz while also showing resilience under pressure as they defended resolutely in the closing minutes.
With Brazil, Haiti and Scotland also in Group C, Morocco will take encouragement from another competitive performance as they prepare for one of the toughest opening assignments of the tournament.
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Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman plans to use Monday’s friendly against Uzbekistan in New York as an opportunity for his first-choice line-up to have a proper dress rehearsal ahead of their opening World Cup clash against Japan next weekend.
The rest of the Dutch squad will then play a second unofficial game against the Uzbeks straight afterwards, made up of two 35-minute halves, Koeman announced on Sunday.
“We want to use the first match to make as few changes as possible. We have to wait and see if that works,” he said at a press conference ahead of the clash at the Ichan Stadium.
“We are going to play the first match largely with our starting team. It is also good for guys who are not 100% fit, who can then play in the second match. That is why we are playing two matches.
“We have 26 players, and everyone gets minutes to play. That’s what you want.”
A decision still needs to be made regarding defender Jurrien Timber, who only joined the squad last Thursday after playing for Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 30.
It was Timber’s first outing since March after struggling with a groin injury, and there remains concern over his levels of fitness.
“If he trains and is fully fit, he always makes a good impression. That hasn’t been the case every day, so we have to make a decision,” Koeman told reporters.
“He participated in training, and we are going to sit down with the doctor and Jurrien at the end of Sunday afternoon to see whether he is going to start or not,” the coach added.
The Dutch open their Group F campaign against Japan in Dallas on Sunday. Uzbekistan take on Colombia on June 17 in Group K.
-Reuters
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