Featured Image Credit: Getty and Qiddiya.com
Topics: Saudi Arabia, Football World Cup, FIFA, Gianni Infantino
Alex Brotherton
Topics: Saudi Arabia, Football World Cup, FIFA, Gianni Infantino
Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans to build a 'futuristic' stadium on top of a cliff in time for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Saudi Arabia looks set to host the 2034 edition of the tournament as no other nations are going to bid for hosting rights. FIFA will confirm the pick later this year with a vote involving over 200 national football federations.
The path was cleared for Saudi Arabia to bid for the tournament unopposed when FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup will be shared between Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
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FIFA rules dictate that the World Cup cannot return to a continent for two bidding cycles, ruling Europe, Africa and South America. North America cannot bid as the United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 2026 tournament.
Saudi Arabia has invested millions into football over the past 12 months, largely in the form of player wages.
Global superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar joined Saudi Pro League clubs in 2023, while a slew of Premier League regulars made the leap too.
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However, it now looks like the Gulf State is ready to drive its cash resources into infrastructure for its big moment: the 2034 World Cup.
Several new stadiums will be built for the tournament, including a high-tech stadium on top of a 200-metre cliff near the capital city, Riyadh.
The 45,000 seater venue - to be named the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium after the kingdom's crown prince - will have a retractable roof and field, plus an LED wall with hundreds of metres of screens.
A lake will be built beneath the stadium to collect rainwater to pre-cool the air conditions system.
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The new arena will be at the heart of the Qiddiya City project, an entertainment, gaming and sports hub 45km (30 miles) from downtown Riyadh.
After the World Cup, the news stadium will become the home of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, the current teams of Ronaldo and Neymar respectively.
The Qiddiya investment company - owned by the Public Investment Fund [PIF] - said: "The futuristic venue aims to reinvent the traditional stadium concept."
The PIF manages about $700 billion in Saudi sovereign wealth and has invested heavily in the LIV Golf project and Newcastle United.