{"id":115111,"date":"2023-10-31T11:31:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T11:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/31\/saudi-arabia-set-to-host-after-australia-does-not-bid\/"},"modified":"2023-10-31T11:31:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T11:31:47","slug":"saudi-arabia-set-to-host-after-australia-does-not-bid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/31\/saudi-arabia-set-to-host-after-australia-does-not-bid\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia set to host after Australia does not bid"},"content":{"rendered":"

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World Cup trophy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Saudi Arabia is set to host the men\u2019s 2034 World Cup after Australia decided against bidding to stage the tournament.<\/p>\n

Football Australia confirmed its decision only hours before Fifa\u2019s deadline for declarations of interest on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia is the only other nation to bid.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,\u201d read a statement from Football Australia.<\/p>\n

The 2026 World Cup will take place in the US, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n

Morocco, Portugal and Spain\u00a0will host the 2030 tournament, with matches also in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.<\/p>\n

Fifa had said the 2034 World Cup would be held in Asia or Oceania, and an Australian bid was regarded as the only potential challenger to Saudi Arabia, which announced its intention to bid shortly after Fifa\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Despite receiving support from the Asian Football Confederation, Saudi Arabia would likely be viewed as a controversial host.<\/p>\n

It has been criticised for its human rights violations \u2013\u00a081 men were executed\u00a0on one day last year \u2013 women\u2019s rights abuses, the criminalisation of homosexuality, the restriction of free speech and the war in Yemen.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s international standing was severely damaged by the 2018\u00a0killing of Jamal Khashoggi,\u00a0a US-based Saudi journalist who was a prominent critic of the government.<\/p>\n

Human rights campaigners say sport is being used by the Saudi government to detract from long-standing reputation issues, a process known as \u2018sportswashing\u2019.<\/p>\n

Qatar\u2019s hosting of the 2022 World Cup drew criticism because of its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.<\/p>\n

Like last year\u2019s tournament, the 2034 edition would almost certainly be held in the winter because of extreme heat in the summer.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia has hosted several major sporting events since 2018, involving football, Formula 1, golf and boxing.<\/p>\n

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia\u2019s sports minister, said the World Cup bid \u201cconstitutes an important and natural step in our journey as a country passionate about football\u201d.<\/p>\n

Last month Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince\u00a0Mohammed bin Salman said:\u00a0\u201cIf sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we\u2019ll continue doing sportswashing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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