TEHRAN - The world footballing body, FIFA, has officially announced Saudi Arabia as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2034.

The Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting, held on Wednesday, also confirmed Morocco, Spain and Portugal as hosts of the 2030 World Cup, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay staging celebratory games.

Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament after Qatar staged it in 2022.

The 2034 edition will stage the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single host country.

Matches will be held across 15 stadiums in five host cities in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom.

Riyadh’s King Salman Stadium, with a 92,000-spectator capacity, is expected to be the venue for the opening and final matches once constructed.