Saudi Arabia is on course to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup after Australia officially declared it would not bid for the tournament.

The Kingdom submitted a letter of intent to FIFA earlier this month, following FIFA’s announcement that only bids from Asia and Oceania would be considered for the 2034 event.

With Football Australia’s withdrawal, Saudi Arabia is poised to become the sole contender.

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In a statement, Football Australia cited their strong position to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029 as reasons for not bidding for the 2034 World Cup.

Countries interested in hosting the 2034 World Cup are required to express their formal interest by October 31, with a signed bidding agreement to be submitted by November 30.

FIFA members will then vote to confirm the hosts in late 2024.

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Initially, Saudi Arabia had considered bidding for the 2030 World Cup alongside Greece and Egypt as co-hosts, but these plans were dropped, and the Kingdom is now focused on being the sole host for the 2034 event.