REUTERS

Saudi Arabia announced it took the second step to bid for 2034 World Cup by submitting a letter of intent to host the event to world soccer governing body FIFA on Monday.

“Last week we announced our ambitions to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and this official submission continues our journey to make the dreams of our people a reality,” Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation SAFF said in a statement.

“We are extremely committed to presenting the most competitive bid possible that will also help unite the world through football,” he added.

SAFF said that once they declared their intention on Wednesday to bid for the tournament, “over 70 FIFA Member Associations from across different continents have publicly pledged their support for the Kingdom.”

Last week, FIFA named Morocco, Spain and Portugal as hosts of the 2030 World Cup, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.