The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has earned the honor of hosting the 2034 World Cup, one of the most prominent global sporting events. The World Cup is keenly awaited by football fans across the world, who mark their calendars every four years for this competition. It is an event that attracts much attention for its host country and is a boon for the tourism industry. As a first-time host, Saudi Arabia has many fantastic opportunities to make this a memorable occasion.
Although the event is still a decade away, the Kingdom has already revealed the list of stadiums that will host the 2034 World Cup matches. The tournament is scheduled to take place across many notable Saudi cities, after the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) recognised the many strengths that Saudi Arabia brings to the world as a host nation.
In total, there are 25 stadiums where matches will be held. Of these, 4 are existing stadiums that have been completely redesigned and modernised, while 11 are completely new and in the process of being built. They are distributed across the five primary cities of the Kingdom - Jeddah, Neom, Al-Khobar, Abha, and the capital city, Riyadh.
In this article, we take a visual tour of the stadiums hosting the 2034 World Cup by city and examine some of their key details including size, audience capacity, and their date of completion.
Riyadh
King Salman International Stadium
King Salman International Stadium is expected to accommodate about 92,000 spectators. It will host the opening and closing matches, as well as matches in various stages of the tournament. The stadium is expected to be ready in 2029.
King Fahd International Stadium
This stadium has an expected capacity of about 70,000 spectators. It will host various matches leading up to the semi-finales. The expected completion date is in 2026.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium
This stadium will host matches including the third-place match and is expected to accommodate 46,000 spectators. It will be located in Qiddiya, a key project being developed in Riyadh, and has an anticipated completion date of 2029.
Qiddiya Coast Stadium
Scheduled to be part of the Qiddiya Coast project with a capacity of more than 46,000 spectators, this stadium will host matches up to the round of 16. It is expected to be ready in 2032.
New Al-Murabba Stadium
This stadium is part of the New Murabba project, a prominent mixed-use development that is revitalising key areas of Riyadh and Diriyah. It is estimated that the stadium’s capacity will reach about 46,000 spectators, and that it will host the group stage and the round of 32. It will be completed very close to the tournament, with an expected date in 2032.
Roshan Stadium
This stadium will host matches from the group stage and the round of 32. It has an anticipated completion date of 2032 and a capacity of more than 46,000 spectators.
Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium
This stadium is also expected to hold approximately 46,000 spectators and to host the group stage and round of 32 matches. It is expected to be ready in 2027.
South Riyadh Stadium
This stadium is expecting a capacity of 47,000 spectators and will also host the group stage and round of 32 matches. The planned completion is in 2032.
King Saud University Stadium
This is the final Riyadh stadium that will be hosting the group stage and round of 32. It has an expected capacity of 46,000 spectators and an anticipated completion in 2032.
Jeddah
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium
This stadium will host various stages of the tournament and some of the final matches, with a planned capacity of 58,000 spectators. It is planned for 2032.
Jeddah Central Stadium
This stadium will be hosting the group stage and the round of 32 as well, and is expected to hold more than 45,000 spectators. It is expected to be ready in 2027.
King Abdullah Economic City Stadium
The name of this stadium is in reference to its location, King Abdullah Economic City, in the Makkah region. It is scheduled to be ready in 2032, with a capacity of more than 45,000 spectators, and will host the group stage and the round of 32 matches.
NEOM
NEOM Stadium
This stadium is part of the NEOM future city project, which will be a more advanced and sustainable global destination. NEOM Stadium is planned to host various rounds of the tournament up to the quarter-finals, with a capacity of more than 46,000 spectators. The anticipated completion is in 2032.
Al-Khobar
Aramco Stadium
This stadium will host many different stages of the tournament, including the group matches, the round of 32 and the round of 16. It has an expected capacity of 46,000 spectators and has a planned completion in 2026.
Abha
King Khalid University Stadium
This stadium is scheduled to host matches from the group stage, the round of 32 and the round of 16, with a capacity of more than 45,000 spectators. It is expected to be completed in 2032.
