After being confirmed by FIFA in October as the only bid submitted, Saudi Arabia is now showcasing “the biggest edition in history” of the tournament in a single country, as reflected in the bid specifications in the list of venues, cities and infrastructure published by the Saudi news agency.

It will be a 48-team tournament, in fifteen stadiums in five cities. Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha and NEOM will be the cities with eleven of the fifteen stadiums which will be new. Riyadh, the capital, alone will have eight stadiums, including the King Salman Stadium, which will be able to hold 92,000 spectators and is expected to host the first match and the final.

For the 2034 World Cup the kingdom needs 14 stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000 spectators, right now the country only has two, the King Abdullah Sports Stadium in Jeddah and the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia is looking to high-impact global sporting events as a way of presenting a modern image and attracting new investment. The 2029 Asian Winter Games are to be held there.

In 2034, the same year as the World Cup, Riyadh will host the Asian Games, a two-week tournament with more competitions than the Summer Olympics and a similar number of athletes. Recall that neighbouring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East.