An exceptional moment that Saudis along with people of the entire world have experienced on December 11, 2024 after Saudi Arabia scripted a new chapter as the first country in FIFA history to host the World Cup single handedly in its new format consisting of 48 teams. This experience drew attention of the entire globe as it will be the first edition of the World Cup in which the teams qualified for the tournament in its expanded format will compete in one country. Hence, Saudi Arabia’s message "Welcoming the world" came to represent this dazzling reality that everyone is eagerly awaiting.
It is known that after two years the world will bid farewell to the old format of the World Cup, the most important event that the planet awaits every 4 years. The global tournament will continue to be played in its new format in 2030 but with joint organization of three countries, and after that it will be the turn in 2034 for Saudi Arabia from whom the world awaits an exceptional version of the World Cup that is absolutely unprecedented.
The importance of granting the Kingdom the right to host the 2034 World Cup goes beyond football, as it comes as an expression of the confidence of the international sports community in Saudi Arabia’s capabilities and potentials of geographical diversity, economic weight, cultural richness and historical fragrance, which will make hosting the tournament on its lands a great opportunity to achieve a comprehensive experience for football fans with their diverse hobbies and interests.
Ten years from today, Saudis will be scripting a new and bright page in the book of Saudi pride, and this time through the gate of sports. Behind this achievement stands Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an inspiring leader who led, planned, followed up and supervised meticulously the details of this inspiring story, seeking help for that from God and then from a people who are in his eyes the first capital and inexhaustible wealth. How won’t it happen? Thus he is the one who planted hope in them, ignited the flame of ambition and raised the banner that “the impossible is not Saudi.” He expressed this achievement eloquently and concisely by saying, "We do not dream; we think about a reality that is achieved."
The Crown Prince did not stop there, but rather raised the level of Saudi achievement to the highest strategic level for decision-makers by forming a supreme committee headed by him personally to follow up on this national project, which came as a deserved result of a long and arduous journey since the launch of Vision 2030. Thus sending another message of Saudi Arabia's determination and resolve to transfer sports and football to another level of Saudi care and hospitality. This expressed the renewed antiquity and a national identity rooted in the depths of history to constitute the greatest opportunity to convey Saudi Arabia's message to the world of tolerance, love and peace. Our weapon in that is the determination of the people of Tuwaiq and the youth of the Kingdom who are capable of overcoming all difficulties.
Saudi Arabia's message today is that it is the most important player in the field of culture as it was on the economic, political and religious levels. It is not just a fuel pump for the world or barrels of oil that affect its economy, but rather it is a peacemaker and a source of love, culture and arts, in addition to the ability to reach one of the most important experiences of hosting a sporting event of this importance.
This Saudi victory is the will of the political leadership, the determination of the people, and the work of institutions, organizations, and bodies that joined forces to reap it. If hosting the World Cup is the crown jewel in the long story of Saudi excellence, then its book of successes contains many pages from hosting the 2027 Asian Cup to organizing World Expo 2030.
Saudi Arabia's message today is that it is capable of creating creativity and presenting it to the world in a way that achieves "renewed antiquity," which is a Saudi duality par excellence.
The joy, jubilation, and solidarity of Saudis to express that joy was a message of thanks and gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their unlimited support for all activities and sectors that invest in the homeland and the citizen and achieve prosperity and well-being and compete with the countries of the first world to prove that "the impossible is not Saudi.” Saudi excellence is a fast train towards the future, its first stop was Vision 2030, and its stations are so many and diverse in all fields and levels, and its ambitions have no limits except the sky.
