By ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENEVA (AP) — Scheduling the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia back-to-back with the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Games would pose “no risk” to the Olympics, a senior IOC official said Tuesday, Dec. 3.
“We don’t see at this stage a major issue. On the contrary, it is a lot of sport in the time frame,” Christophe Dubi, the International Olympic Committee executive director for the games, said at an online briefing after a board meeting, suggesting two major sports events close together would be “a real feast” for fans.
Dubi’s comments suggested January 2034 is surprisingly open for FIFA and Saudi Arabia to stage soccer’s marquee event despite a near-clash with the Salt Lake City Olympics that aims to have an opening ceremony on Feb. 10 that year.
Playing a World Cup in January 2022 was not option when FIFA and future tournament host Qatar — in the planning stages a decade ago — needed to find cooler months to avoid the searing Middle East heat in June and July.
Before deciding in 2015 to play in Qatar in November-December 2022, FIFA understood from Olympic officials it would be unacceptable to move too close to the 2022 Winter Games.
Those Olympics eventually were hosted in Beijing, opening on Feb. 4.
Saudi Arabia will be confirmed next week by FIFA as host of a 2034 World Cup that cannot realistically be played in summer months when temperature routinely exceeds 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
The new 48-team, 104-game World Cup format takes 38 days to play.
Asked if the IOC wants January and early February to be off limits for FIFA in 2034 to protect Salt Lake City, Dubi said: “I think that the risk of having those two in parallel is immensely limited.”
“From all standpoints, including a commercial one, we have actually virtually no risk,” he said. “This is going to be for sports fans a real feast during a period of whatever it is, three, four months, where you are going to have these two events.”
Saudi Arabia currently has excellent relations — politically and financially — with FIFA and IOC to resolve the scheduling issue.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has built a close working relationship over several years with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the IOC this year sealed a 12-year deal for the kingdom to host the new Esports Olympics.
