FIFA Faces Battle Over Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup’s Schedule

FIFA is facing a new battle against Europe’s major leagues, including the Premier League and LaLiga, over plans for a winter World Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2034 as ‘concrete agreement’ would be required from leagues and players for the fixture calendar to be hit by such disruption.
Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday after emerging as the only bidders for the tournament. A multi-nation tournament in 2030, hosted by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, was also rubber-stamped by FIFA.
FIFA’s bid evaluation report notes temperatures in Saudi are at their mildest between October and April, with daytime temperatures in June and July – when the World Cup is traditionally played – exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
European Leagues, which includes the Premier League among its membership, is already involved in a legal row with FIFA over what it sees as a lack of consultation over the international calendar, and the PA news agency reports that there are huge concerns among leagues over the fixture chaos a winter World Cup in 2034 would cause.
Scheduling a World Cup mid-season would also likely have a knock-on effect to the seasons on either side of the campaign interrupted by the finals.
Domestic leagues did pause for the 2022 finals in Qatar, but doing so again would be much more challenging given the expansion of European club competition that has occurred since, and the World Cup’s growth into a 48-team tournament.
For the 2026 finals, players are set to be with their country for up to eight weeks, from the start of the mandatory release period on May 25 up to the final on July 19.