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90 Countries Back Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Bid

Saudi Arabia first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on October 4
Saudi Arabia first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on October 4
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90 Countries Back Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Bid

Saudi Arabia first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on October 4
Saudi Arabia first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on October 4

About 90 countries have so far backed Saudi Arabia’s candidacy to host the 2034 World Cup.

The last twelve unions that announced their support are the football federations of Tanzania, The Bahamas, Montserrat, US Virgin Islands, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, Zambia, Gabon, Eritrea, Cambodia, and Greece. Greece is the 4th European country to support the Saudi bid.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) already submitted a letter of intent (LOI) and signed a declaration to FIFA to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup™️.

Saudi Arabia first announced its intention to bid for the 2034 edition of the iconic tournament on October 4, and the letter of intent – signed by SAFF President Yasser Al Misehal – officially confirms the Kingdom’s commitment to embark on the bid process set out by FIFA.

Less than a week after SAFF declared its intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup™️, over 90 FIFA Member Associations from across different continents have publicly pledged their support for the Kingdom.

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FIFA Opts Not to Suspend Israel but Will Investigate Palestinian Claims of Discrimination

(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
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FIFA Opts Not to Suspend Israel but Will Investigate Palestinian Claims of Discrimination

(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

FIFA stopped short of suspending the Israeli soccer federation on Thursday, but asked for a disciplinary investigation of possible discrimination alleged by Palestinian soccer officials.
A senior FIFA panel overseeing governance will separately investigate “the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine,” soccer’s governing body said after a meeting of its ruling Council.
The Palestinian soccer federation has consistently asked FIFA for more than a decade to take action against the Israeli soccer body for incorporating teams from West Bank settlements in its leagues.
The compromise decisions came more than four months after Palestinian officials had urged FIFA to suspend Israel’s membership at a meeting in May.
The request to FIFA's congress in May also cited “international law violations" in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict and directed the soccer body to its statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination.
FIFA delayed making a decision in May until after a legal review scheduled for July, then pushed back the issue two more times until the meeting Thursday.
“The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and, based on a thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
The latest process follows a pattern — under Infantino and his predecessor Sepp Blatter — of Palestinian requests for FIFA to uphold its legal statutes and the question then being steered toward ad hoc panels and other committees.
FIFA gave no timetable Thursday for the investigations it has not requested.