Saudi Arabia is all but set to be named as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The news came as very little shock to football fans around the world but the circumstances surrounding the formal bidding process have continued to cause controversy.
On Tuesday afternoon, Saudi Arabia’s only viable threat for the tournament, Australia formally announced it was out of the running and would instead be focusing on the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
As a result, Saudi Arabia was the only official bidder for the 2034 tournament and will run uncontested as the only AFC-backed proposal.
Former Socceroo and SEN’s Alex Brosque admitted the decision for Australia to back out is a logical one but revealed his desire to see another country contest the Saudi Arabian bid.
“I think they (Saudi Arabia) definitely need competition, just not from us,” Brosque said on SEN’s The Global Game.
“I think as a sport we can’t afford to have afford to have another failed bid, so it was smart on our part to pull out.
“On the flip side, we know how much politics is involved in these decisions, so we need to start playing the game, let’s pull out and back the Saudi bid.
“Danny Townsend is working over there at the moment, let’s get him to infiltrate and work some magic, butter the right people up, then he can help influence, so the next time Asia hosts (the World Cup) they come support Australia.”
SEN’s Simon Hill echoed Brosque’s sentiment but saw the positives in the commitment towards hosting two more major tournaments before the end of the decade.
“To be fair to Football Australia, okay they’ve withdrawn from this World Cup today, but they’ve also put forward a very strong case for the Women’s Asian Cup and for the Club World Cup,” Hill added.
“I think the Women’s Asian Cup probably should happen, Club World Cup, maybe a little bit more 50/50.
“But could you imagine the likes of Real Madrid, Man City or Bayern Munich, along with the big South American giants playing in that expanded tournament in Australia?
“That would be fantastic.”
FIFA has not confirmed when an announcement will be officially made but had previously stated the winner will be determined in Quarter 4 of 2024.