Australia opts not to bid for 2034 World Cup

Australia has decided against bidding for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, paving the way for Saudi Arabia to host the tournament. Football Australia issued a statement on Tuesday, hours before FIFA’s deadline for declarations of interest, confirming it would not lodge a bid, Report informs via The Guardian.

“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup, and having taken all factors into consideration, we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” an FA statement read.

FA reiterated its interest in hosting the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the 2029 Club World Cup.

Within hours of Fifa’s announcement, Saudi Arabia issued its declaration of interest, and the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, expressed his support for the country’s bid soon after.