The Saudi bid was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations RIYADH: The news Saudi Arabia and football fans across the region had been waiting for was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon when FIFA made the official announcement that the Kingdom will host the 2034 World Cup. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Saudi bid was rubber-stamped by the applause of over 200 FIFA member federations that took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich by Gianni Infantino, president of football’s world governing body. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation greeted the news by posting a message from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on its official X account. “We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world,” the message said. Meanwhile, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, minister of sport and Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee president, and SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal were presented with the FIFA World Cup 2034 hosting certificate from FIFA. During a special presentation from Riyadh, Prince Abdulaziz said: “We will host the best version of the World Cup in history, and we will achieve our dream of hosting this tournament on our land.” Alongside the decision to award Saudi Arabia the sole hosting rights in 2034, FIFA also officially approved the multi-host bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games.