Saudi Arabia seems set to host the 2034 World Cup, despite a potential rival bid from Australia and New Zealand.
As part of FIFA's policy of rotating World Cup hosts between continents, bids for the 2034 tournament are only open to countries from Asia and Oceania.
And it doesn't look like there's going to be much competition for the right to host football's biggest event in just over a decade's time.
A source close to the powers that be told MailOnline: "A Saudi World Cup in 2034 isn’t just likely; it’s basically a done deal. Money has talked again, and the event will be worth billions in new cash for FIFA."
Saudi Arabia shouldn't be short of support in their push to hold a World Cup in the country: they've been promised the support of "the entire Asian football family".
Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said: "The entire Asian football family will stand united in support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s momentous initiative, and we are committed to working closely with the global football family to ensure its success."
Saudi Arabia run football now
Saudi Arabia's determination to become a World Cup host comes amid the rapid growth of professional football in the nation – thanks to immense investment in their top flight.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema are just some of the superstars to swap Europe's top five leagues for the Saudi Pro League this year.
The deadline for 2034 World Cup bids is 31 October, as announced by FIFA on Friday – a day after the eyebrow-raising news that the 2030, centennial edition would take place in six countries: Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay each staging one game.
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