Saudi Arabia set to host winter World Cup in 2034

Saudi Arabia is set to stage a winter World Cup in 2034 after a FIFA evaluation report for the sole bidder for the tournament highlighted the likelihood of the competition being played "between October-April" due to "local climatic conditions" and cited it as an "elevated risk."

FIFA will announce the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Dec. 11, with a combined bid from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay set to be announced as the 2030 host to mark the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

And Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle East nation to stage the tournament following neighbouring Qatar, w...