The ambition of Saudi Arabia to transform its sporting and urban landscape through the 2034 FIFA World Cup is beginning to столк with the limits of economic reality. What was presented as one of the most ambitious infrastructure plans in the history of football — featuring futuristic stadiums and new cities — is now facing delays, adjustments, and a profound reassessment of priorities.

At the center of this process is the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial engine behind the kingdom’s major projects, which has entered a period of spending restraint. This decision has had a direct impact on plans to build World Cup stadiums, forcing a rethink of designs, timelines, and budgets in a context shaped by falling oil prices and the need to sustain a long-term development model.

Forced redesigns and projects failing to progress as planned

According to information reported by The Guardian, several architecture firms that had been awarded contracts to build World Cup stadiums were formally asked to resubmit their proposals. The original designs were deemed too expensive, and in some cases contractors who were due to begin work next year were told that construction would not start on schedule.

Although construction has begun on three stadiums, industry sources indicate that multiple projects are experiencing significant delays. In this scenario, some companies are facing direct pressure to generate substantial cost savings, to the point that at least one has reportedly been warned it could lose its stadium contract if it fails to deliver meaningful reductions. Uncertainty also extends to the total number of venues, with growing speculation about a possible reduction from the 15 originally included in the bid approved by FIFA.

Vision 2030, oil, and the balance between ambition and financial sustainability

World Cup plans are closely tied to Vision 2030, the initiative launched in 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the Saudi economy and reduce its dependence on oil. Under this framework, stadiums were planned in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, and Abha, along with the Neom Stadium, conceived as part of The Line, a futuristic city rising 500 meters high and powered by renewable energy.

However, Vision 2030 continues to be funded largely through the PIF, whose resources remain heavily dependent on energy revenues. The recent price cuts by Aramco, amid weaker demand and oversupply within OPEC, have forced the fund to announce spending reductions of at least 20% for 2025. Megaprojects such as Neom, Qiddiya City, and Diriyah have already begun to feel the impact, and while sport remains a strategic priority, Saudi sources acknowledge that some projects linked to the 2034 World Cup will not be immune to these adjustments.