Gianni Infantino will sidestep any examination of the contentious decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia next month, as Fifa has chosen to conduct the qualifying draw for the 2026 tournament virtually. Saudi Arabia's successful bid for the 2034 World Cup will be ratified by acclamation during an extraordinary Fifa congress, scheduled to take place online on December 11. The Guardian has also learned that the draw for European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, set for two days later, will be held remotely.
Infantino is facing pressure to clarify several recent controversial decisions by Fifa, notably granting Saudi Arabia the World Cup hosting rights without a vote and organizing next year's Club World Cup. To avoid media scrutiny, he has decided to keep the world's press away from Zurich. The 54-year-old has not held a press conference since his re-election as president at the 73rd Fifa congress in Rwanda in March 2023, surprising many by refusing to speak after this year's congress in Bangkok.
The European qualifying draw for the World Cup has historically been a significant event, with Vladimir Putin attending the draw for the 2018 tournament in Russia held in St Petersburg three years prior. Previous draws were also hosted in the country set to stage the finals. The preliminary draw for the 2022 tournament in Qatar was streamed from Zurich in December 2020, a decision largely influenced by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and severely limited international travel at the time.
Fifa seems to have adopted the lockdown model, inviting Europe's coaches to attend the draw online next month. Several national associations are reportedly surprised by these arrangements, as they had anticipated traveling to Zurich. However, this might benefit the FA, which has faced criticism for allowing incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel to delay his start date until January. Its involvement in a glamorous draw ceremony might have been overshadowed by debates over whether the German should attend.
In a format change, the 55 European teams will be drawn into seven groups of five and five groups of four. Teams in groups of five will commence qualifying in March, while those in smaller groups will start their campaigns in September next year. The 12 group winners will automatically qualify for the 48-team World Cup in the United States, with the remaining four spots to be determined by playoffs.
Fifa declined to comment, but sources in Zurich noted that a virtual draw would significantly reduce air travel and carbon emissions. More details on the draw procedure are expected to be announced later this week. In addition to confirming Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host, the extraordinary Fifa congress will also approve the joint bid from Morocco, Portugal, and Spain to stage the 2030 tournament, with one game each also to be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to celebrate the World Cup's centenary.
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