Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup, and FIFA has solidified its relationship with the kingdom by announcing a sponsorship agreement with Aramco. The deal extends until 2027 and includes major tournaments like the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The hosts for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be announced next month.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but it is likely to be FIFA’s most lucrative sponsorship agreement in terms of average annual value. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has established strong connections with Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since before the 2018 World Cup, which was sponsored by Russian state energy company Gazprom.
FIFA opened up bidding for the 2034 World Cup last October to only FIFA member federations in Asia and Oceania, which many believed was tailored for Saudi Arabia to win. As expected, they were confirmed as the only candidate by the end of that month. However, this is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has been involved in controversy over their hosting of international events due to human rights concerns and restrictions on women’s participation in sports. In fact, they were also a minor sponsor of the 2019 Asian Games held in Qatar but did not sponsor any other events due to their strict policies towards women’s participation in sports.
