Hosting FIFA World Cup 2034 a game-changer for RSL and Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

All roads lead to Saudi Arabia and, in 2034, the Kingdom will welcome the world when it hosts football’s global showpiece tournament, the FIFA World Cup.

With a runway of 10 years to prepare for the world’s biggest sporting event - the first time a single nation will host the 48-team version of the tournament - the impact on Saudi Arabia and its football ecosystem will be profound.

The Roshn Saudi League has garnered the world’s attention in the past two years, first with the stunning capture of Cristiano Ronaldo shortly after the most recent FIFA World Cup, in Qatar in 2022, and then following it up with the high-profile signings of Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Neymar among a host of international names to commit their futures to the competition in the past 18 months.

The face of the game in Saudi Arabia has changed before our very eyes; the big four of Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr and Al Ahli are renowned international brands in their own right, with their kits worn the world over, while the league is broadcast in more than 180 countries with a profile that is growing every year.

There is even a Netflix documentary taking fans behind the curtain with the league’s biggest names in a fly-on-the-wall look at the transformation taking place. It has helped transmit the RSL into households in every corner of the globe.

With the carrot of the FIFA World Cup in 2034 now officially on the horizon – Saudi Arabia were on Wednesday confirmed as hosts - football in the Kingdom will never be the same again.

First, is the physical transformation already set in motion. For the 48-team showpiece, Saudi Arabia will utilise 15 stadiums, 11 of which will be new builds. The impact this will have on the RSL will be remarkable, as teams begin to play in some of the most breathtaking and technologically advanced arenas anywhere in the world.

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya is one of the most audacious stadium designs ever conceived; perched on the cliff face overlooking the Tuwaiq Cliffs and the entertainment precinct being built below, situated around 35km southwest of Riyadh, it will also include the track to be used by Formula 1 in the future.

When finished, the stadium will become home to both Al Hilal and Al Nassr, meaning virtually every week there will be a RSL game played at a location that will instantly become one of the global game’s most iconic venues.

Other clubs in Riyadh will also benefit from the colossal infrastructure revamp, with the city to be home to eight FIFA World Cup stadiums. That roster includes the architectural marvel that is the 92,000-capacity King Salman International Stadium, which will host the opening game and the final of the 2034 World, while it will also be home to the Saudi Arabia national team.

Meanwhile, in Jeddah, stadiums such as the Jeddah Central Development Stadium will play a continuing role in the day-to-day life of football as the base of Al Ahli and/or Al Ittihad, giving the city on the shores of the Red Sea another world-class venue to showcase the passion and colour of the RSL.

With further stadiums planned in Abha, Khobar and NEOM, not to mention the hundreds of training sites and other stadium developments in the works, the matchday experience the RSL will be able to offer will be unlike anything seen before.

Not only are the stadiums much-needed infrastructure for the league, they are architectural marvels that re-think how sporting venues can and should be designed - not only for their use for matches, but as community assets once the 2034 finals has concluded. Not only will they transform Saudi football, but also Saudi society.

And, from a football perspective, hosting the tournament will be a complete game-changer. The RSL was already on a path towards an exciting new future, but staging arguably the foremost sporting event will turbocharge that development, especially among local Saudi talent.

There are children developing now, in their teens, that will grow up with stars in their eyes knowing they stand to play in the most significant event to be held in Saudi Arabia; one that will revolutionise for decades to come.

As those aspiring footballers progress to senior football in the RSL, they will do so alongside some of the most prominent names and best talents in world football, getting a first-hand look at what it means to play at the elite level as they strive towards 2034.

When one considers how much Saudi football has changed within the past two years, it is inconceivable to think where it might be in another decade. And the best bit is that we get to watch that transformation with our very eyes, week-in, week-out, in the Roshn Saudi League.