AFC President Says Confident Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034 Will Impress World 

Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
TT

AFC President Says Confident Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034 Will Impress World 

Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and FIFA Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup is a significant milestone in the history of the sport in Asia and an important step towards hosting the global event.

It also reflects the historic development of Saudi sports, which have gained the trust of the football world, he told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

He added that Asia has placed its full trust in Saudi Arabia's bid due to the country's significant resources, future plans, and remarkable development, which align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

“Today, as we witness the official submission of the bid to host the World Cup, Asia’s confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to organize one of the most remarkable editions of the World Cup is growing,” he noted.

“We are working as a unified system to support this and ensure the capability and effectiveness of the proposed plans and arrangements to deliver an unforgettable global football event,” he said.

“The world bid farewell to the exceptional 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Today, we are witnessing Saudi Arabia's submission of the 2034 World Cup bid, which will become an unforgettable reality.”

Moreover, he said: “We are very close to the movement and development of Saudi football, supported by Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal and led by president of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal.

“So, let us send a message of reassurance to all football stakeholders worldwide that Saudi Arabia will present a World Cup of exceptional quality and distinction that will remain in everyone's memory,” he stressed.



Egypt Beats Spain 2-1 to Reach Men’s Football Quarterfinals at Paris Olympics

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group C - Spain vs Egypt - Bordeaux Stadium, Bordeaux, France - July 30, 2024. Ibrahim Adel of Egypt and Mohamed Elneny of Egypt celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group C - Spain vs Egypt - Bordeaux Stadium, Bordeaux, France - July 30, 2024. Ibrahim Adel of Egypt and Mohamed Elneny of Egypt celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
TT

Egypt Beats Spain 2-1 to Reach Men’s Football Quarterfinals at Paris Olympics

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group C - Spain vs Egypt - Bordeaux Stadium, Bordeaux, France - July 30, 2024. Ibrahim Adel of Egypt and Mohamed Elneny of Egypt celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group C - Spain vs Egypt - Bordeaux Stadium, Bordeaux, France - July 30, 2024. Ibrahim Adel of Egypt and Mohamed Elneny of Egypt celebrate after the match. (Reuters)

Ibrahim Adel scored a pair of goals and Egypt advanced to the men's football quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics atop its group by beating Spain 2-1 on Tuesday.

Spain had already reached the knockout round and was vying for a first-place finish in Group C but was instead leapfrogged by determined Egypt in Bordeaux.

In the other match of the group, the Dominican Republic played to a 1-1 tie with Uzbekistan, which had already been eliminated. The draw in Paris was not enough to get the Dominican Republic into the next round.

The quarterfinal matchups won't be determined until Wednesday's games are complete. The top two teams in each of the four groups advance.

Adel's first goal came off a cross from Zizo late in the first half. His second came in the 62nd minute, when he worked around Spanish goalkeeper Alejandro Iturbe, who had come forward to stop him.

Samu Omorodion scored for Spain in the final moments of regulation but the comeback fell short.

In the group's other match, Rafael Nunez converted on a penalty early in the second half to put the Dominican Republic in front, but Alisher Odilov tied it in the 58th.