Australia opted not to bid for the 2034 World Cup, cementing Saudi Arabia’s position as the favourite to host the event.
Football Australia withdrew its proposal before the October 31 deadline after the Asian Football Confederation backed Saudi Arabia.
“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and — having taken all factors into consideration — we reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” Football Australia said in a statement.
Global football body FIFA has invited bids from the Asia and Oceania regions for the rotating World Cup hosting rights after naming Morocco, Spain and Portugal as joint hosts for 2030.
Australia and New Zealand jointly hosted the Women’s World Cup this year and it was generally regarded as a success.
Saudi Arabia’s ambition to host the 2034 men’s World Cup is the latest step in a campaign to turn the kingdom into a global sports powerhouse.