AFC President: The Kingdom is capable of hosting the World Cup

The President of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is able to host the World Cup, “but it is necessary to” choose the right time” for his continent to host the global event in 2030 or 2034.

He added, in an interview with journalists in Beirut on the sidelines of his recent visit to Syria and Lebanon: “Saudi Arabia is coming with force, and we are coordinating with the continental federations and the International Federation to host the 2030 or 2034 World Cup, in agreement with everyone. When the file is submitted, we want to ensure that it succeeds by at least 90 percent.”

He continued: “The Kingdom is a country capable of organizing a similar tournament, but we have to choose the appropriate time, in 2030 or 2034, according to the circumstances and success rates, and we form an Asian Confederation with 47 votes, while winning needs more than 110 votes, and we must have support from other continents, and coordinate The right time to host this championship, whether in 2030 or 2034, and we are concerned that the Saudi file be successful when it is presented, and we assume our responsibilities, and this is a commitment from me personally, but the right time must be chosen.

And it obtained the right to host the 2027 Asian Cup, with its file remaining alone, after the withdrawal of India, Uzbekistan and Iran, as it will be the first hosting of the Kingdom, the holder of the title three times (1984, 1988 and 1996) for the finals that began in 1956 AD.

And with the upcoming 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first time in three countries, competition is taking place to host the 2030 edition with the emergence of a joint European-African file for Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and another South American that includes Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, coinciding with the 100th anniversary. On the holding of the first World Cup in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, and last September, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Fawzi, announced that his country is studying with the Kingdom and Greece to run with a joint file to host the global event.