With Saudi Arabia selected as the host for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, reports indicate that FIFA is considering scenarios that could see part of the tournament moved to 2035 due to calendar overlaps and time constraints.

The FIFA World Cup is traditionally held during the summer season, but the experience of hosting in Qatar in 2022 demonstrated that Middle Eastern weather conditions can alter the scheduling of the tournament. That edition was held in November and December for the first time due to the region's extreme heat.

Now, with the World Cup returning to the Middle East in 2034, FIFA faces a similar challenge; however, this time, in addition to the heat, the overlap with the holy month of Ramadan has added further complexity to the planning.

According to forecasts, Ramadan in 2034 will begin around November 12 and continue for nearly a month. As Saudi Arabia is home to Islam's two holiest sites, hosting an event with millions of fans from various countries during this period could present significant logistical and cultural challenges.

On the other hand, holding the matches in summer is not a viable option due to high temperatures. In June and July, temperatures in many parts of Saudi Arabia exceed 50 degrees Celsius, and high humidity makes conditions difficult for football matches.

The Winter Olympics will also be held in Salt Lake City, USA, in early 2034. Although the World Cup attracts a larger audience than the Winter Olympics, the simultaneous occurrence of two major sporting events could negatively impact television broadcasts, advertising, and sponsorship deals.

Furthermore, the Hajj pilgrimage will take place in March 2034, bringing millions of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. Since the timing of Hajj is determined by the lunar calendar, it cannot be rescheduled.

Possibility of the tournament starting in 2034 and ending in 2035

Accordingly, one of the options under consideration is for the World Cup to begin in the final days of 2034 and continue until late January 2035.

Reports also suggest that FIFA is still exploring the idea of increasing the number of participating teams to 64, a move that could further compress the match schedule and make the limited timeframe between the end of 2034 and the beginning of 2035 the most practical option.

Criticism of FIFA's decision

FIFA has previously faced criticism for awarding the 2022 World Cup hosting rights to Qatar and subsequently selecting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 edition.

However, the organization emphasizes that its goal is to make football more global, believing that limiting the hosting of the tournament to Europe and South America hinders the development of the sport in other regions of the world.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously responded to criticisms regarding the move of the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter by calling on the football community to view these changes with a more open mind.

Trump's remarks on the US hosting again

On the sidelines of the 2026 World Cup final, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, US President Donald Trump attended the trophy ceremony and called for the tournament to return to the United States.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump stated that he intends to bid for the World Cup hosting rights again and has even discussed this proposal directly with Gianni Infantino.

This comes as the 2030 World Cup hosting rights have been jointly awarded to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, while Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 edition.