Saudi Arabia cup set to shake up the global football calendar in 2034 | OneFootball

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·9 October 2025

Saudi Arabia cup set to shake up the global football calendar in 2034

Article image:Saudi Arabia cup set to shake up the global football calendar in 2034

The 2034 World Cup could alter the structure of the global football calendar. On Thursday, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, spoke about the future of world team competitions. During the general assembly of the European Football Clubs (formerly the Association of European Clubs), the leader pointed out possible new dates for football, in order to avoid complications due to the climate.

"If you want to play at the same time everywhere, then you can play in March or October — because in December you don't play in one part of the world, and in July, we don't play in another part of the world," said Infantino.

Asked about the 2034 World Cup and whether the decision could affect the tournament, Infantino stated that the dates are still under discussion.

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"We are already getting into the final details — we are discussing this with everyone, all the time, and it's not just about a World Cup, it's a general reflection," he added.

Why in 2034?

Following the same example as Qatar, where it was impractical to play football in the traditional months of June and July, the 2034 edition of the World Cup would also have to be held in December. However, in 2034, the Ramadan (the month in which Muslims practice ritual fasting) will be between November and December, which would affect several teams.

Thus, it is very likely that the 2034 World Cup will take place in January 2035. The information is from the American newspaper The Athletic.

Infantino did not give more details about the World Cup edition in Saudi Arabia, but pointed out that global football will need changes in the calendar.

"Even playing in some European countries in July is very, very hot. So maybe we need to think about the best months to play football, which is June, in Europe. This month is not very used, right? Maybe there are ways to optimize the calendar, but we are discussing this. We just need to keep an open mind," he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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