Should Saudi Arabia host the World Cup in 2034? YOUR COMMENTS after the country was confirmed as the only bidder for the tournament following Australia’s withdrawal

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA confirmed the country was the only bidder for the tournament.

Australia’s withdrawal from the race on Tuesday for the event in 11 years time left Saudi Arabia as the only contender.

The 2034 tournament is expected to be held in the winter as temperatures in Saudi Arabia in the summer months can exceed 43 degrees Celsius. 

FIFA announced earlier this month that only bidders from Asia and Oceania would be considered for 2034, citing continental rotation of the tournament.

The move came with Spain, Portugal and Morocco agreeing to stage the 2030 event, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each hosting one match to mark the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (middle) attended the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Esports World Cup last week in Riyadh (seated next to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman)

Football Australia, who were viewed as the only likely rivals to a Saudi bid, announced on Tuesday it had decided against bidding to host the tournament.

Some fans are concerned about another World Cup being held in the Middle East, according to comments from Mail Sport readers, after the disruption caused by last year’s event in Qatar.

European leagues were forced to shut down for more than a month to allow for the World Cup to take place in the cooler winter in Qatar.

The Professional Football Association has even warned that footballers could pull out of the 2034 World Cup due to workload issues.

‘Another shocking place to have a World Cup,’ one Mail Sport reader wrote, while a second added: ‘Another load of disruption on the way.’

One simply said: ‘A sad day for football.’

Another wrote: ‘What a surprise. Just follow the money.’ 

‘After that it will be North Korea,’ wrote another. ‘The world is broken.’ 

However, others pointed out that Saudi Arabia was the only other country than Australia to express an interest in hosting.

‘They got it because no-one else wanted it,’ one fan wrote. 

Other commenters suggested it was a positive to have the tournament in Saudi Arabia after the 2022 event in Qatar. 

‘Qatar World Cup is the best one, quality and entertainment, fresh players in top form and best final in history,’ one fan wrote.