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The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has unveiled its bid campaign to host the FIFA World Cup 2034.
The launch of the campaign comes after Saudi Arabia’s landmark announcement of its intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034 in October of last year. The move was then formalized after SAFF submitted its official letter of intent and signed declaration to world football governing body FIFA later that month.
Under the new campaign slogan Growing. Together., SAFF revealed its bid logo, website, as well as the short bid film that celebrates the passion, spirit and diversity of football in Saudi Arabia.
As one of the fastest and most exciting growth stories in world football, Growing. Together. seeks to capture the parallel between Saudi Arabia’s rapid transformation and the positive impact hosting the tournament would have on both international football and FIFA’s flagship event. Aspiring to become the first single host nation of a 48-team FIFA World Cup™, the three pillars underpinning the bid are: Growing People. Together. – Growing Football. Together. – Growing Connections. Together.
Over the last six years Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted over 100 international events across almost 40 sports and is in active football partnerships with more than 100 countries. The campaign slogan aims to capture the spirit of that bond, as the Kingdom, its people and world football help build a better future.
President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Yasser Al Misehal said: “Telling our football story to the world is of massive importance. And we believe Growing. Together. is the perfect, yet simple description of our approach to hopefully hosting the tournament in 10 years’ time.”
“Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying. We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey. As we proved when we welcomed over 100 nationalities to the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 in Jeddah, the future is bright when we grow together.”
The newly-revealed bid logo is designed to capture the essence of Saudi Arabia’s young nation, vibrant society and rich heritage. The logo is made up of intertwined rows of multi-coloured ribbons, displaying iconic football and cultural symbols.
Together, the ribbons form ’34’ – marking the year that Saudi Arabia dreams of hosting the 25th edition of the FIFA World Cup. The logo also shapes the country’s outline, with its five colors reflecting the diversity of the nation; Desert Amber, a symbol of warmth and generosity; Oasis Green representing valleys and mountains; Radiance Red drawing inspiration from the Red Sea coral reefs; Rich Lavender celebrating the blossoming wildflowers; and Sunrise Yellow marking an exciting new dawn for the nation.
The short bid film shot across the country explores the passion for football across all parts of Saudi society. Featuring football icons and players from the Saudi under-17 women’s national team, the film captures the country’s diverse landscapes, culture and traditions. The film is brought to life by the voice of 22-year-old Saudi women’s national team midfielder Layan Jouhari, while the background music was composed by Saudi music powerhouse, MDLBEAST.
In accordance with the FIFA Bidding Regulations, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation recently established a dedicated bid unit to lead the charge for the Saudi 2034 bid; which extends up until the end of the year. Head of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation FIFA World Cup 2034 bid unit, Hammad Albalawi, said: “This campaign is powered by the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in Saudi Arabia. Our responsibility is to submit the best possible bid to FIFA, make our country proud and fulfil the trust placed upon us by more than 130 Member Associations across the world who supported our bid. Under Vision 2030 and the unconditional support of our country’s leadership, sport is helping unlock the passion and potential of our people, and as our campaign slogan says, Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 is all about being part of a global football family, with fans, players and federations all growing together.”
The launch of the campaign comes almost two months after the successful delivery of the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2023, which drew over a quarter of a million fans from across the world to Jeddah.
Saudi Arabian men’s and women’s football has enjoyed exponential growth across all areas of the game since 2021: Regional Training Centers have almost trebled to 17; talent discovery programs increased four-fold to 19; national teams increased from nine to 17, with the ambition of creating a squad at every age group; and licensed coaches leaped from 2.3k to 6.2k.
To follow the journey of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid, visit Saudi2034bid.com. Fans can back the bid and celebrate the launch of the campaign by using the hashtags #Saudi2034bid and #GrowingTogether
