Saudi Arabia wants to check whether the 2034 World Cup can also take place in the classic World Cup months of June and July. Both a summer and a winter World Cup are possible, said the country’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, in an interview published on Friday with the British broadcaster “BBC“. “We are definitely looking at both options to see what is the best way to host the World Cup.”
The 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar was held in winter because of the high summer temperatures, which caused a lot of international criticism. In June, the average temperature in the Saudi capital Riyadh is over 40 degrees Celsius and in Jeddah on the Red Sea it is 38 degrees. In November it would be a little cooler with average temperatures of around 32 degrees Celsius. “For us, it doesn’t matter whether it takes place in summer or winter,” Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said in the interview, “as long as we ensure that we create the right atmosphere for such an event.”
This is how the hosts performed at World Cups
2022 | Qatar | Group stage (against Senegal, Netherlands, Ecuador)
For the awarding of the men’s World Cups in 2030 and 2034, the Council of the world association FIFA surprisingly made a fundamental decision in October, which was also criticized by human rights organizations: In 2030, the World Cup will be played predominantly in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening games in South America to mark the 100th anniversary the World Cup. For 2034, only one host from Asia or the Oceania region is possible – the only candidate is Saudi Arabia.
At the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, temperatures of 30 degrees and more will also prevail in some of the 16 venues. The home stadiums of the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans, where it is likely to be particularly hot, are therefore air-conditioned and have structures that allow the playing field to be completely covered.
Atlanta to Vancouver: The 2026 World Cup stadiums sorted by size
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