Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid, stated that the country has made significant progress in human rights while aiming to attract "more fans than ever" to the 48-team showpiece event.

Saudi Arabia’s growing influence and massive spending in global sports have been detailed in research ahead of the kingdom being confirmed by FIFA next week as the 2034 World Cup host.

Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with plans to possibly host it during cooler months. This timing aims to prevent a clash with the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has expressed no concerns about overlapping with the winter event.