According to The Sun, the 2034 World Cup may be postponed to 2035 due to weather, religious schedules, and scheduling conflicts.
FIFA is seeking solutions to potential logistical challenges surrounding the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia is expected to host the tournament in eight years, and similar to the Qatar World Cup, it is anticipated that the event will be moved to winter due to extreme weather. However, since religious schedules cannot be altered and sporting dates are relatively fixed, the entire schedule could become chaotic.
When Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, the tournament ran from November 20th to December 18th, so fans might expect a similar schedule in 2034. Qatar found a convenient window, easily avoiding Ramadan in April. According to the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan in 2034 is projected to begin around November 12th and end on December 12th. During Ramadan, the overall rhythm of life in Saudi Arabia changes, with shorter work and school hours. Cities are quieter during the day as millions fast. Avoiding eating, drinking, or smoking in public is both customary and a sign of respect. At night, temporary markets, shopping malls, shops, and restaurants bring the country back to life.
This could make hosting the World Cup extremely difficult. If the tournament is moved to the beginning of the year, another scheduling conflict could arise, as the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics are scheduled for January and February. Then, in March, millions of pilgrims will travel to Mecca for the Hajj. With spring approaching and temperatures starting to rise, FIFA cannot completely disregard the schedules of other leagues and competitions around the world.
If the World Cup expands to 64 teams, the time window for the tournament will be longer than this year's tournament with 48 teams.
If the tournament expands to 64 teams, the host country will need 6 to 7 weeks to complete the event at the 15 stadiums designated by Saudi Arabia. With 48 teams, the tournament could be completed in approximately 5 weeks using 16 stadiums. However, a more suitable window would likely be between Christmas 2034 and mid-February 2035, prior to the Hajj pilgrimage. As globalization continues and climate change becomes increasingly pronounced, weather will remain a factor in sports scheduling.
In 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained that even in Europe, July is often "very, very hot." Speaking about future plans, Infantino said, "We are already studying the specific details; we have been discussing it." He stated, "This is not just about a particular World Cup, but a holistic approach. The best month for playing football is June, but Europe doesn't utilize that month much." Infantino added, "Perhaps we have ways to optimize the schedule, but we are discussing it and will see after we reach some conclusions." He emphasized, "We just need to keep an open mind." The dispute between FIFA and UEFA may also put more pressure on Europe for any schedule adjustments in 2034. UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin, whose automatic one-match suspension for Balogun was suspended, publicly boycotted the 2026 World Cup final.
