Cristiano Ronaldo insists the Saudi Arabia World Cup ‘will probably be the best EVER’ – as the Portugal forward hails decision to award the country with the tournament for 2034

Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup ‘will probably be the best ever’ after the country was awarded the competition unopposed.

The country was awarded the tournament, which will take place in 10 years’ time, at a FIFA Congress on Wednesday after not a single alternative candidate came forward.

The acclamation of football nations, rather than a vote, brought an end to a rapid 14-month process which has seen the Middle East nation make an unrivalled march to win the right to host the finals.

The bid was open to any country from the Asia and Oceania regions that felt they could afford to stage a competition involving 104 matches, with Saudi the only real contender.

There are concerns that the tournament will have to be held in January due to the extreme temperatures in the summer, but the country has already detailed plans to build some mega-stadiums for the tournament.

And now Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has given his verdict on the decision, and it is a glowing one.

The Middle East country were given the tournament on Wednesday having been unopposed

Ronaldo gave a glowing reviews of the country as he praised several of its features

‘It’s amazing,’ he said, was speaking after his recent tour of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 Bid Exhibition in Riyadh. ‘I didn’t expect it, but it is so, so, so good.

‘The 2034 World Cup will probably be the best World Cup ever. After what I’ve seen today, I’m convinced that it will be amazing. The infrastructure, the stadiums, the conditions for the fans, the airports, and everything else, it’s amazing.’

‘The future [in Saudi Arabia] is very bright in my opinion, not only for the World Cup, but because every year they host big events here – football matches, boxing; the quality of entertainment is very high. The country is unbelievable. The Saudis are very good people; they like to learn, which for me is very important.’

‘One or two of the kids I met today could play in the World Cup – we don’t know, but I hope so. I will motivate them to work hard and believe in that.’

Ronaldo was one of the first high-profile players to join the Saudi League following a major cash injection in a number of clubs in the country when he joined Al-Nassr in winter 2023, with others soon following suit.

The likes of Neymar, Ngolo Kante and Sadio Mane have all featured for some of the top teams in the league as it looks to continue to grow.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, who will be nearly 50 when the World Cup takes place, has backed the league to continue to do so. 

‘The league has grown so fast, even in the last year,’ he added. ‘If you look at the difference in that time, it’s amazing, you have seven or eight big clubs right now, all of whom are very hard to beat.

‘I see a very big difference in the evolution of the players. I feel, for example, my team-mates and the other teams too, that Saudi is growing so fast that they themselves are becoming better players.

‘The 2034 bid tagline ‘Growing. Together.’ is beautiful, because it’s what we all have to do. We have to grow together in everything, not just in football, but in everything in life.

‘I believe Saudi Arabia will continue to grow and I’m happy to be part of this success in the country. I will be here for sure to see the World Cup.’