On Tuesday, the deadline for bids to host the 2034 World Cup, Australia officially confirmed its decision not to pursue the global football showcase, making Saudi Arabia the undisputed contender for hosting rights.
FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania regions for the tournament by the Oct. 31 deadline.
Initially, Football Australia (FA) indicated it was “exploring the possibility” of hosting the 2034 event. However, the governing body announced on Tuesday its intent to focus on bids for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup.
With Australia stepping back from the 2034 bid, Saudi Arabia remains the sole confirmed bidder for the World Cup.
Saudi Arabia wasted no time in expressing its interest, declaring its intention to bid shortly after FIFA called for bids from Asia and Oceania on Oct. 4.
The president of the Asian Football Confederation, the governing body for the sport in the continent to which Australia belongs, pledged full support for Saudi Arabia’s bid, emphasizing that “the entire Asian football family” would stand behind it.
A week after FIFA extended the invitation for bids, Indonesia briefly explored the possibility of a joint bid with Australia, along with Malaysia and Singapore. However, within a week, Indonesia shifted its support to back Saudi Arabia’s bid.
Australia recently hosted a successful Women’s World Cup but has never hosted a men’s World Cup.
The FA stated, “We believe we are well-positioned to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – and then to welcome the world’s top football teams for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. Achieving these milestones would mark a remarkable decade for Australian football.”
FIFA had previously awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, additionally designating centenary celebration games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
