FIFA World Cup 2034 In India? Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al Misehal's Statement Throws Spanner In The Works

“It’s going be Saudi-only,” Al Misehal told the Associated Press in an interview, adding that with “a lot of cities and a lot of stadiums that we have, our plan now is just to be a sole host.”?

The statement came less than a week after there were reports of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) mulling a plan to host a few matches of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey had reportedly told the executive committee members that India should think of hosting a few matches of the 2034 World Cup. ?

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However, with Al Misehal making Saudi's sole-hosting intentions clear, AIFF's plans seem unlikely to materialize.?

The 48-team 2034 World Cup will have 104 matches and the idea perhaps was that a few of them -- around 10 matches -- could be held in India. "The president informed the house that India should think or plan to work towards being a co-host for the World Cup in 2034," the draft minutes of the AIFF Executive Committee held on November 9 had said.?

The FIFA had restricted the hosting eligibility of the 2034 World Cup to Asia or Oceania after it made the decision to host the 2030 edition on three continents (Africa, Europe and South America).

Saudi Arabia is also hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 after India backed out of a bid to host the continental showpiece.?