Australia Withdraws from 2034 World Cup Bid, Leaving Saudi Arabia as the Sole Candidate and Raising Human Rights Concerns.

The Australian soccer federation has decided not to enter the bidding contest for the 2034 World Cup, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only declared candidate. This has caused dismay among human rights activists, who have accused the oil-rich kingdom of abusing migrant workers, endangering the LGBT community and stifling free speech.

Football Australia released a statement on Tuesday saying they had decided not to bid for the 2034 competition. This came just hours before FIFA’s deadline for declarations of interest.

Qatar, who was controversially chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, has pushed back against the criticism, insisting that everyone was welcome in the country and denying reports of worker abuse.

The decision by Australia not to enter the race has left Saudi Arabia as the only declared candidate for the 2034 World Cup. This move is likely to be seen as highly controversial, as it would put the oil-rich kingdom on track to host the global soccer tournament a decade from now.

FIFA has confirmed that only Saudi Arabia is in the running for the 2034 World Cup, and it is all but certain that the tournament will be held in the country. This has caused concern among human rights activists, who fear that the kingdom’s hosting of the event could be used to legitimize its alleged human rights abuses.