Saudi Arabia announces hosting of 2034 World Cup with 64 teams, FIFA agrees?

World Cup 2030 and 2034 increase 64 teams, FIFA is considering?

According to Reuters, the number of teams participating in the World Cup finals is facing the possibility of change, after CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) proposed increasing the number of teams to 64 for the 2030 edition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup. Now, it is Saudi Arabia's turn, the host country of the 2034 World Cup, to also declare its readiness to organize the World Cup with 64 teams, if FIFA agrees.

Saudi Arabia's sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, has confirmed his readiness to host the 2034 World Cup with 64 teams.

Photo: Reuters

"We are ready, or we will be ready. If FIFA makes this decision (to increase the number of teams in the World Cup to 64) and believes that it is good for everyone, then we will be happy to respect that decision," Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia's sports minister, told reporters when attending the Formula 1 (F1) race in Jeddah on April 20.

In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was selected by the FIFA Council to host the 2034 World Cup, while the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also host the 2030 World Cup, with the first matches of their teams to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup.

In principle, the 2030 and 2034 World Cups will only have 48 teams participating in the finals, similar to the 2026 World Cup taking place in the US, Mexico and Canada. The 2026 World Cup will also be the first to be held with 48 teams, an increase of 16 teams compared to previous tournaments with only 32 teams since 1998.

However, organizations such as CONMEBOL and the Uruguayan Football Federation have recently officially submitted a proposal to FIFA to increase the number of teams to 64. But this idea has been opposed by several other continental confederations, such as Asia (AFC) and Europe (UEFA).

Will the World Cup possibly increase to 64 teams?

Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the 2034 World Cup, has made a huge investment, pledging to build up to 15 new or renovated, ultra-modern stadiums that will be completed by 2032.

Saudi Arabia has also invested heavily in sports in recent years, hosting hundreds of world-class sporting events. Officials believe that if the 2034 World Cup is held with 64 teams, they have all the resources and capabilities to meet the demand, not only in terms of stadiums, but also in other logistics.

"We have hosted more than 100 international sporting events so far. We have had people from all over the world come to these sporting events. And everyone is satisfied with the hospitality, the preparation and the experience they have had. Honestly, I don't see it as a problem. So I hope this will not be a problem," Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal stressed when explaining Saudi Arabia's announcement that it is ready to host the 2034 World Cup with 64 teams.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/a-rap-xe-ut-tuyen-bo-to-chuc-world-cup-2034-voi-64-doi-fifa-dong-y-185250421084403934.htm