Saudi Arabia hosts the 25th World Cup — 48 teams, 104 matches and some of the most ambitious stadiums ever designed, from Riyadh’s King Salman International Stadium to a venue suspended high above the ground in NEOM.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup heads to Saudi Arabia — confirmed by the FIFA Congress in December 2024 as the sole bidder. It will be the first World Cup in Saudi Arabia and only the second in the Middle East after Qatar 2022, keeping the expanded 48-team, 104-match format introduced at the 2026 tournament.
Five cities across the kingdom, with Riyadh leading the way.
The capital and centrepiece — home to the planned King Salman International Stadium (~92,000), the likely final venue, plus Qiddiya and several others.
Red Sea hub with multiple venues, including a stadium concept built into the coastline.
The futuristic megacity — its proposed stadium would sit high above the ground inside 'The Line'.
Eastern Province venue, part of the five-city hosting plan.
Mountain city in the south-west, bringing the tournament to a cooler, high-altitude setting.
15 venues are planned — here are the headline grounds.
~92,000 capacity — proposed venue for the opening match and the final.
A radical concept stadium elevated ~350m inside 'The Line'.
Part of the giant Qiddiya entertainment city development.
A flagship Red Sea waterfront venue.
FIFA has not yet locked in the dates. Saudi summers are extremely hot, so — as with Qatar 2022 — the 2034 World Cup is widely expected to be played in the winter (around November–December 2034). FIFA will confirm the exact window closer to the tournament.
2034 uses the 48-team, 104-match format: 12 groups of four, with the top two and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a 32-team knockout bracket. Saudi Arabia qualify automatically as hosts; every other berth is decided through the confederation qualifiers.
2034 completes a remarkable run of World Cups: the 48-team era opens at the 2026 World Cup (USA, Canada, Mexico), the 2030 centenary spans Morocco, Spain, Portugal and South America, and 2034 brings the tournament to Saudi Arabia. Three editions, three very different visions of the game.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup is hosted by Saudi Arabia. It was confirmed by the FIFA Congress in December 2024 as the sole bidder, making it the first World Cup staged in Saudi Arabia and the second in the Middle East after Qatar 2022.
FIFA has not confirmed exact dates. Because of extreme summer heat in Saudi Arabia, the tournament is widely expected to be played in the winter of 2034 (around November–December), similar to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
48 teams compete in 104 matches — the same expanded format used at the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
The Saudi bid lists five host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha and the futuristic megacity NEOM, with 15 stadiums planned in total.
The planned King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh, with a capacity of around 92,000, is set to host the final.
Yes. As hosts, Saudi Arabia qualify automatically. All other places are decided through the standard confederation qualifiers.
2034 World Cup tickets2030 World Cup
NinetyMins is an independent fan hub and is not affiliated with FIFA. Details for the 2034 tournament are based on the confirmed Saudi Arabia bid and FIFA announcements; dates, the final venue list and capacities will be updated as FIFA confirms them.