Riyadh: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Office has reaffirmed its full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. This endorsement comes ahead of the extraordinary FIFA Congress on December 11, where the host nation will be determined, with Saudi Arabia being the sole candidate for hosting the global tournament.

According to Saudi Press Agency, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa expressed confidence in Saudi Arabia’s ability to deliver a historic edition of the World Cup. He stated, “We are fully satisfied with the Kingdom’s bid, which has achieved the highest rating in the history of World Cup hosting files. We trust the Kingdom to organize a tournament that will not only enhance the standing of the Asian continent on the international football stage, but also build on the remarkable success of Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.”

Sheikh Salman made these remarks during the AFC Executive Committee’s fifth meeting, which he chaired via
video conference. The meeting was attended by committee members and AFC officials. In addition to discussing Saudi Arabia’s bid, the committee reviewed the submission process for organizing the 2031 AFC Asian Cup, which began last week.

The committee also approved key decisions taken by its standing committees, including dates and venues for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, recommended by the AFC Women’s Football Committee during its November 12 meeting. Furthermore, the committee appointed former AFC First Vice President Praful Patel to the Board of Trustees of the AFC Dream Asia Foundation for a four-year term.