Egypt football chief angers Saudi Arabia by 'trying to take 2034 World Cup matches'

Egypt's football chief is receiving backlash from Saudi Arabia after making a shock public appeal to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to host some of the matches at the 2034 World Cup.

Speaking at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) general assembly meeting on Wednesday, Egyptian Football Association (EFA) head Hany Abo Rida surprised delegates after asking Infantino if Egypt could host some of the tournament's matches, despite it already having been awarded to Saudi Arabia.

"We wish that the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, will allow us the honour of hosting one of the 2034 groups," Abo Rida said during his opening speech at the event.

Infantino, along with other senior FIFA and CAF officials, was in attendance at the event.

Abo Rida's request draw sharp criticism from Saudi commentators, who called for him to apologise and accused him of distracting from an ongoing crisis in the Egyptian Premier League, which saw Tuesday's derby clash between Al-Ahly and Zamalek cancelled.

"I understand the pressure Hany Abo Rida is under because of the Al-Ahly – Zamalek derby, but it is not good 'manners' for the solution to be demanding the dismantling of the 2034World Cup groups," Waleed Al-Farraj, a journalist at Saudi network MBC, wrote in a post on X.

Other Saudi commentators were more forthright in their criticisms. Journalist Salman Al-Utaibi described Abo Rida's request as "an unacceptable transgression and a provocative act that reflects a lack of respect for Saudi efforts to host this global event".

Another called the EFA head's comments "shameful" and a "blatant insult".

Criticism was also aired by Egyptian commentators, including Amr Adib, a controversial talk show host.

"You've really put us in an embarrassing position, globally and regionally," he wrote on X.

Egyptian officials have in past indicated interest in hosting World Cup matches. The country had been rumoured for several years to be contemplating a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup with Saudi Arabia and Greece only for it not to materialise.

FIFA in December selected Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 tournament, which for the first time will feature 48 teams, making it the largest World Cup ever.

The country’s sovereign wealth fund has drawn up an ambitious plan involving the construction of 11 new stadiums and infrastructure capable of hosting thousands of spectators from across the world.