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Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034

Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia' Bid (AFC)
Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia' Bid (AFC)
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Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034

Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia' Bid (AFC)
Asian Football Confederation Welcomes Saudi Arabia' Bid (AFC)

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) welcomed the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, expressing its support for the Kingdom's momentous initiative.

The AFC President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, expressed his delight that the SAFF has presented their intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

"The AFC endorses the FIFA World Cup hosting decisions taken by the FIFA Council as we strongly believe it paves the way for a more equitable opportunity for all Confederations to bid for, and host, the prestigious FIFA World Cup – the pinnacle of world men's football," said the AFC President.

He noted that the Asian football family will stand united in support of Saudi Arabia's momentous initiative and is committed to working closely with the global football family to ensure its success.

Saudi Arabia will be hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2027, and this will be a historic first for them, he noted.

"We have full confidence that the SAFF will deliver an extraordinary AFC Asian Cup and carry this same belief into delivering an unforgettable FIFA World Cup, offering an excellent opportunity to football fans from across the world to experience a unique and spectacular celebration of the beautiful game."

Following FIFA's decisions to revise the hosting mechanism of the FIFA World Cup, Asia will have the opportunity to host the football world's premier competition in 2034 for only the third time in its history, after the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Republic/Japan and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

The bid intends to deliver a world-class tournament and will draw inspiration from Saudi Arabia's ongoing social and economic transformation and the country's deep-rooted passion for football.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that Saudi Arabia's desire to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup reflects the country's progress in all sectors.

The Kingdom has quickly emerged as a leading hub and an international destination for hosting major events thanks to its rich cultural heritage, economic strength, and the ambition of its people.

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Osorio Topples Osaka, Kvitova Ousted at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Camila Osorio of Columbia plays a backhand against Naomi Osaka of Japan in their first round match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 05, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Camila Osorio of Columbia plays a backhand against Naomi Osaka of Japan in their first round match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 05, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
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Osorio Topples Osaka, Kvitova Ousted at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Camila Osorio of Columbia plays a backhand against Naomi Osaka of Japan in their first round match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 05, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Camila Osorio of Columbia plays a backhand against Naomi Osaka of Japan in their first round match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 05, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP

Naomi Osaka was bundled out of the first round at Indian Wells on Wednesday, falling 6-4, 6-4 to Camila Osorio in the Japanese star's first tournament since injury forced her out of the Australian Open.

Former world number one Osaka, now ranked 56th in the world, looked rusty against the 52nd-ranked Colombian, struggling to find the range on her powerful groundstrokes on a chilly night in the California desert.

"There were certain things that felt extremely off because I could only start to practice serving after a certain amount of time and stuff like that," said Osaka. "So I think given the situation, it wasn't that terrible.

"I don't feel like I played well at all, but I had chances to be in the match."

Osorio, making a return from a lengthy injury break herself, challenged Osaka with an array of drop shots and slices and gained the lone break of the opening set for a 5-4 lead.

She served it out without a hitch then broke Osaka to open the second.

The Japanese star immediately broke back, but Osorio gained the upper hand with a break in the seventh game. After Osaka fought off a match point against her own serve Osorio served it out, fighting off four break points to seal it with a stinging forehand winner.

"It's crazy for me, a dream come true," said Osorio, who pulled out of last week's event in Merida, Mexico, with an abdominal injury.

She had never won a match at Indian Wells, and became the first Colombian woman to beat a former world number one.

Osaka, who returned from a 15-month break last year after giving birth to daughter Shai in 2023, reached her first final since 2022 in Auckland, but retired from the title match with an abdominal injury.

Back for the Australian Open, she was forced to retire from her third round match with an abdominal strain.

"It just feels like a little bump in the road," Osaka said. "I'll be back in Miami and hopefully I'll have way more serve practice under my belt and things like that."

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, on the comeback trail seven months after giving birth to her son Petr, also fell in the first round.

France's 70th-ranked Varvara Gracheva beat the Czech 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, but the 24-year-old was full of admiration for her 34-year-old opponent, who lifted the trophy at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014.

"If you let me step back a little bit, I really want to congratulate her," Gracheva said. "Because she had a child quite recently, and I'm so happy that she now has the role of a mother and a tennis player, which is very demanding. It's very inspiring for sports, athletes, women -- it's just amazing."

All 32 men's and women's seeds have first round byes in this combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 tournament.

Gracheva lined up a second-round meeting with ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian who became the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion in Dubai last month.

In other matches, French veteran Caroline Garcia beat US wild card Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-4 to line up a second-round meeting with second-seeded defending champion Iga Swiatek.

In men's action, Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands beat Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with top-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who heads a field missing world number one Jannik Sinner as he serves a three-month drugs ban.

China's Bu Yunchaokete defeated American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-5, 6-4 to book a second-round match against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, runner-up the past two years to Carlos Alcaraz -- who is seeded second as he chases a rare three-peat.

Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori, who revealed during the Australian Open that he almost quit tennis last year after lengthy battles with injury, defeated Spain's Jaume Munar 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3) to line up a second-round match against 18th-seeded Ugo Humbert of France.