Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
GENEVA — FIFA has approved the quality of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup in a 110-page evaluation that noted higher risks related to human rights in the oil-rich kingdom. FIFA member federations are set to pick Saudi by acclamation at an online meeting on Dec. 11. They will also pick a Spain-Portugal-Morocco co-host bid for the 2030 edition. They are the only candidates. FIFA's in-house inspection team noted Saudi Arabia must invest "significant effort and time" to fulfill promises for the tournament that comply with international standards. FIFA also scored Saudi Arabia as "medium risk" for huge construction projects for stadiums and hotels.
