Al-Faisal: 32 Million People in the Kingdom Support Hosting World Cup

 Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Faisal: 32 Million People in the Kingdom Support Hosting World Cup

 Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup represents an open invitation to the world to join the Kingdom in the journey of football development.

 

In a post on X, Al-Faisal said that the Saudi bid “is supported by the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in the Kingdom.”

 

The Saudi Football Association announced on Friday the launch of the formal bid campaign to host the 2034 World Cup, which bears the slogan “Growing. Together.”

 

The logo “is designed to capture the essence of Saudi Arabia’s young nation, vibrant society and rich heritage,” the federation said.

 

The logo embodies the process of great transformation and growth that Saudi Arabia is experiencing, making it one of the fastest and most advanced growth stories in the world of football, in addition to the comprehensive positive impact expected from hosting the largest sports tournament in the world.

 

Yasser Al-Meshal, President of the Saudi Football Federation, said that Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup is an exceptional journey to build a better future for the most popular sport in the world.

 

“Submitting the candidacy file to host the 2034 World Cup comes as an important step in the Kingdom’s sporting and football journey in particular. We have made great progress at all levels in the sport of football, and the Kingdom’s candidacy to host the tournament represents an open invitation to the world to join us on this journey,” he stated.

 

For his part, Ibrahim Al-Qassim, the Secretary-General of the Saudi Football Federation, said that the Kingdom will write a new history with the beginning of an ambitious journey to organize the most expensive tournament in the world of football.

 

The Kingdom has recently succeeded in hosting a large number of international sporting events, such as freestyle wrestling shows, Formula 1 championships, and the finals of the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, in addition to the Dakar Rally, and a number of other car and speed racing championships.



Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
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Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)

The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will sit on the ground during the day and rise again every evening.

Paris Olympics organizers said that from Saturday, the cauldron attached to a balloon will fly more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries gardens near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum from sunset until 2 a.m.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron, which is the first in Olympic history to light up without the use of fossil fuels.

Organizers said the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.”