AIFF’s desire to host a few matches of the FIFA World Cup 2034 suffered a major disappointment. Earlier on Sunday, Saudi Arabia claimed to have planned to host the coveted event all by itself, thus dismissing any chances of India having a few high-voltage clashes played in the country. During an urgent AFC Congress held on October 18, strong support was voiced for Saudi Arabia’s bid. India echoed this support and backed the host nation.
“It is going to be Saudi-only, we have a lot of cities and a lot of stadiums, our plan now is just to be a sole host”, Yasser Al-Misehal, the president of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation told Associated Press.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, in talks with executive committee members, advocated for India to consider hosting several matches during the 2034 World Cup. With 104 matches scheduled for the 48-team tournament, the proposal suggests India could potentially host around 10 matches. However, the statement from Yasser Al-Misehal has dismissed all of India’s hopes for now.
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