SAUDI'S WORLD CUP BID SCORES WITH FIFA

It gets higher rating than 2026 joint-bid, deemed 'medium risk' for human rights

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ZURICH - Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid received a higher technical score from Fifa than the 2026 joint-bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico, even though the Middle Eastern nation has yet to construct several stadiums proposed for the quadrennial tournament.

Football's global governing body released its bid evaluation report and said the 2034 bid received an overall average score of 4.2 out of five, even though eight stadiums are still to be built.

All venues - including the planned 92,760-seat King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh - will not be completed until 2032 but three new stadiums are expected to be finished for the Asian Cup, which kicks off in January 2027.

The 2026 bid scored 4.0, having initially proposed 23 stadiums - all of which were already built.

Eventually, 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup were announced, with many venues in the US and Canada being existing National Football League stadiums.

"The (Saudi) bid includes some ambitious stadium projects integrated into unique locations, including the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium located within the Qiddiya development and Neom Stadium located within 'The Line' development," Fifa's report said.