Saudi Arabia World Cup 2034 could be played in summer in 50 degree temperatures
The 2034 World Cup could be played in the sweltering heat of the Saudi Arabian summer.
Saudi Arabia will host the tournament in 11 years after FIFA quietly changed its rules to pave the way for another controversial tournament in the Middle East. The tournament will be the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s major push into the sports sector, which has also involved lavish spending on the Saudi Pro League and LIV Golf and hosting of F1 and boxing events.
The Qatar World Cup was staged in winter last year after initial plans to host the finals during the summer in air-conditioned, enclosed stadiums was rejected. The Saudi Pro League season runs from August to May to avoid the peak of summer, when temperatures routinely hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and can reach 50 degrees in cities.
Even during the winter Saudi Pro League games are usually played at night to give Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Co the best chance to show off their skills in front of meagre crowds. But Saudi Arabia’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal says they haven’t ruled out hosting the World Cup in the summer.
Asked by BBC Sport if it would be staged in winter, he replied: “I don’t know to be honest. Definitely, we are studying both options, to see which is the best option to host the World Cup.” Asked how it is possible to play in such temperatures, he said: “Hopefully we will find out. Definitely we will work to make sure it is the best World Cup to ever be hosted. “
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He added: "Why not see what the possibilities are to do it in the summer? Whether it is summer or winter it doesn't matter for us, as long as we make sure that we [deliver] the right atmosphere to host such an event”.
Saudi Pro League matches are played at night outside of the summer months to avoid the worst of the heat (Michael Regan/Getty Images) HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the plans for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia? Comment below.
Saudi Arabian Football Federation president Yasser al-Misehal suggested last month that the country was exploring the same possibilities which were dismissed by Qatar. "Today there are many new technologies that help you with cooling or adding air conditioners in stadiums, in addition to the fact that there are many cities in the kingdom that enjoy a very wonderful atmosphere in the summer," he said at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Doha.
Despite the bluster from organisers, the consistently high temperatures are an obvious problem when it comes to playing football in Saudi Arabia. The players who have taken huge paydays to join the Saudi Pro League have been forced to adapt to a very different routine, which sees teams train and play at night.
“We’re going through the worst part of it now – and last night, everybody survived,” the Pro League’s director of football Michael Emenalo joked after the first round of fixtures in August.
Saudi Arabia was recently crowned as the world’s worst sportswasher by its critics who accuse the country of using sport to distract from the country’s poor human rights record and dependence on the oil industry. Prince Abdulaziz told BBC Sport that accusations of sportswashing were "very shallow".
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