Saudi Arabia is set to stage the World Cup in 2034 after being confirmed as the sole bidder.

Australia was the only potential challenger but Football Australia announced hours before FIFA’s deadline on Tuesday that it would not be submitting a bid.

FIFA had already said the tournament would be held in Asia or Oceania, while Saudi Arabia had garnered immediate support from the Asian Football Confederation.

A Saudi World Cup, which may not be confirmed until a FIFA Congress late next year, is likely to be highly controversial given concerns over the country’s human rights record.

It would almost certainly mean another winter edition, as with last year’s tournament in Qatar, due to the extreme heat during the region’s summer.

A FIFA statement said: “The FIFA administration will conduct a targeted dialogue with bidders to ensure complete, comprehensive bids are received and evaluated against the minimum hosting requirements as also previously approved by the FIFA Council.

“This dialogue will focus on the defined priority areas of the event vision and key metrics, infrastructure, services, commercial, and sustainability and human rights.”

A statement from Football Australia said it had “explored the opportunity” of a bid but had decided against it.

“Having taken all factors into consideration, we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” the statement said.

“Football Australia is ambitious to bring more major tournaments to our shores. We believe we are in a strong position to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.”

It said hosting those events, in between the 2023 Women’s World Cup and 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, would complete a “truly golden decade for Australian football”.

CEO James Johnson added: “The reality is I don’t like to throw darts at a dartboard. When we weigh up these decisions, I like to bet on sure things. I realised we could have a shot but I think at the end the outcome was not going to be favourable to Australia.

“Saudi is a strong bid. They’ve got a lot of resources. They’re disrupting European club football at the moment. Their government are prioritising investment in football and I think that’s difficult to compete with.”

Saudi Arabia announced its declaration of interest within hours of FIFA outlining the process for hosting the 2034 tournament earlier this month.

With the 2026 finals heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico and the 2030 finals to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, including some matches in South America – subject to approval by FIFA’s congress – only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation were being considered.

Saudi Arabia confirmed on October 4 that it would bid for the showpiece tournament in 2034.

Saudi minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said in a statement via the Saudi Press Agency: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation.

“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”

Last week Human Rights Watch complained that FIFA was failing to apply its own rules in regards to Saudi Arabia’s bid, specifically article seven of its human rights policy.

The article states: “FIFA will constructively engage with relevant authorities and other stakeholders and make every effort to uphold its international human rights responsibilities.”

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said: “The possibility that FIFA could award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup despite its appalling human rights record and closed door to any monitoring exposes FIFA’s commitments to human rights as a sham.”

On Tuesday, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of economic and social justice, urged FIFA not to rush into a decision, saying: “With only a single bid for each tournament on the table, FIFA may have scored an own goal.

“FIFA must now make clear how it expects hosts to comply with its human rights policies. It must also be prepared to halt the bidding process if serious human rights risks are not credibly addressed.

“The best chance for FIFA to obtain binding guarantees to protect workers’ rights, ensure freedom of expression and prevent discrimination linked to the World Cup is during the host selection process – not after the hosts have been confirmed and tournament preparation has begun.”

Confronting accusations of “sportswashing” in an interview with Fox News last month, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by way of one per cent, then I will continue doing sportwashing.

“I don’t care. One per cent growth of GDP from sport and I’m aiming for another one-and-a-half per cent. Call it whatever you want, we’re going to get that one-and-a-half per cent.”

Eddie Howe, manager of Saudi-backed Newcastle, was asked about the prospect of a Saudi Arabian World Cup at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Our trips out there to Riyadh and Jeddah were two different experiences,” Howe said. “Wherever we went was really well organised and we were well looked after. If that’s a sign of what a World Cup there might look like then you can rest assured that everything will be structurally really good.”

Saffie Osborne will be out of action for the rest of the year as she bids to fully recover from a knee injury suffered in a fall earlier this month.

Osborne has enjoyed a memorable campaign, riding 70 winners in 2023, including Metier’s Chester Cup win in May and victory aboard the Ed Walker-trained Random Harvest in the Group Three Valiant Stakes at Ascot in July.

She was also crowned the top rider in the Racing League for the second year in succession.

The 21-year-old tore ligaments in her knee at the beginning of October and while she continued to ride afterwards, most recently travelling to France for a Listed race on Monday, she has now decided to give herself an extended break to ensure she is back at full fitness for early next year.

“It’s obviously hugely frustrating to miss any time in the saddle but my knee has been causing me some pain,” said Osborne.

“I am hoping to be back riding in January. I’m hugely grateful to all the owners and trainers who have supported me this year and I can’t wait to be back riding in 2024.”

Michael Nottingham is desperate to get himself fully fit and start repaying David Martindale for bringing him to Livingston.

The 34-year-old defender moved to the Lions from Accrington in the summer after previously spending his entire career in England.

However, he has been restricted to just two appearances so far after struggling with tendonitis, stemming from an ankle tendon injury that plagued him for much of last season.

“It’s been very frustrating because I came up here to play games, but with that setback it’s been physically draining,” he said.

“Mentally it’s been about trying to keep myself in the zone and take it day by day. I had my injury last season that kept me out for the majority of the season so I know exactly what I have to go through (to get fit again), but it’s obviously not what you want.

“The gaffer signed me to be a big part of the team this year and I wouldn’t say I feel like I’ve let him down because you can’t help injuries at times, but I feel like I haven’t given back yet so I really want to make sure I’m able to do that as soon as possible.

“The club have been amazing with me. The staff and the boys have been really understanding and supportive. It’s been amazing.”

Nottingham has not played since a second-half substitute appearance away to Rangers on August 12, but he is now back in training and has an outside chance of being in the squad for Wednesday’s cinch Premiership trip to Hearts.

“I’ve always been a player in the past who has been quite robust and able to train regularly and play in the majority of games, but since my big injury last year, that’s kind of been taken away from me,” he said. “I don’t think my body’s been conditioned well enough.

“For me, right now, it’s about getting back training regularly, trying to manage my body and be available for selection as much as possible.

“When I get my opportunity I need to bring my experience to the team and help them try to win games. I need to try to get my fitness levels up as quickly as possible.”

Leigh Halfpenny expects a “pretty special” Wales send-off on Saturday while hoping to continue playing for another two seasons.

Halfpenny announced his decision to retire from international duty following Wales’ exit from the recent Rugby World Cup and will make his final appearance in the red jersey against the Barbarians in Cardiff.

But the 34-year-old is set to prolong his career, with Japan considered to be the most likely destination ahead of an official announcement next week.

“It’s all done,” Halfpenny said ahead of his Millennium Stadium farewell.

“I’ve got a contract for another season and then we’ll see what happens after that. I’m looking for that to be announced next week.”

Halfpenny won 101 caps for Wales – the Barbarians game, which is being staged to pay tribute to the country’s record cap holder Alun Wyn Jones, is uncapped – and scored 801 points after making his debut at the age of 19 against South Africa in November 2008.

He made four Test appearances for the Lions across the 2013 and 2017 tours, although he was also selected in 2009 before injury cut short his involvement.

Halfpenny was named player of the series in 2013, helping the Lions to a 2-1 series victory in Australia.

He said: “I’m just grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to wear the jersey over the last 15 years.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to put on the Welsh shirt and I’m really excited for Saturday.

“I’ve got a few friends and family coming along, and I’m looking forward to going out one last time.

“To run out alongside guys like Alun and Justin Tipuric, albeit they’ll be on the opposite side, and share the field with those two greats of the game and Welsh legends again will be pretty special.”

Halfpenny is third on the all-time list of men’s points scorers for Wales, behind Neil Jenkins (1,049) and Stephen Jones (917).

He says he grew up in the Swansea suburb of Gorseinon determined to emulate outside-half Jenkins, hero of the Lions’ 1997 series victory in South Africa.

Halfpenny said: “Jenks was an idol for me, watching him play and kick for Wales. He made me want to be like him kicking for Wales.

“I just went down the field and put the practice in. That was my dream, to play and kick for Wales.

“I’ve got to be honest, I was pretty star-struck when I met up with him at St Helen’s (the home ground of Swansea RFC) at the age of 16, and he’s been incredible for me.

“I’ve learned so much from him; not just goal-kicking but the work you need to put in. He’s supported me throughout and been huge in what I’ve been able to achieve.”

Halfpenny also wants to follow Jenkins into coaching, adding: “It’s something that I would like to do once I hang up the boots.

“I will be having a chat with him and picking up any tips I can. He’s one of the best in the world and to learn from him has been pretty special.”

Ante-post favourite Arcangelo will miss Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic after suffering a setback.

Jena Antonucci’s charge landed the Belmont Stakes in June before doubling his Grade One tally in the Travers at Saratoga two months later.

He has since been kept fresh or this weekend’s showpiece event in California, with connections having hoped he would emulate his sire, Arrogate, who won the Classic in 2016.

However, Arcangelo pulled off a shoe a few days ago and while Antonucci had initially hoped he would recover in time, she has now made the difficult decision to withdraw her stable star.

She told TVG: “He’s honestly doing great, he’s bouncing and thriving and happy in his stall.

“Like we’ve talked about all week, the left-hind shoe he pulled off, he’s not fully resolving and we’re running out of time.

“As we’ve talked about from day one, it will be always be horse first no matter what. Sure, there’s big racing coming up, but spreadsheets and timeframes they don’t really care about.

“We have so many amazing options here for being able to diagnose and figure things out. We’re going to take advantage of that and to be able to do so, we’ve run out of time because obviously you have to sedate horses and do those kind of things.

“We need to do right by him and missing a race is what it’s going to be this time.”

Antonucci added: “It’s not about me, I’ve said that from day one. I’m not going to get emotional, it’s about him and it’s his journey.

“He’s tearing the barn down right now, but I’m not comfortable and if I’m not comfortable then it’s a ‘no’.”

The Classic field had already had two significant withdrawals over the weekend, with Geaux Rocket Ride suffering a serious leg injury while working at Santa Anita on Saturday and Kentucky Derby winner Mage ruled out due to a fever.

Frankie Dettori feels the decision to run Inspiral in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf rather than the Mile is the correct call.

John and Thady Gosden’s star will be running over 10 furlongs for the first time but Dettori believes that with the tight nature of the Santa Anita track, a longer trip is a safer choice as a horse’s chance is not as dependent on a good draw.

The Italian teamed up with the multiple Group One winner on Tuesday morning and said: “Inspiral took to the pony really well and was quiet by her standards.

“Sometimes the Mile turf race here is very draw dependent, so I think it was a good decision to go for the longer race. She doesn’t need any introduction, she was a champion at two and at three and is top drawer.”

Dettori will also team up with his Champion Stakes-winning partner King Of Steel in the Turf. It is, however, a short turnaround from Champions Day, which was two weeks ago.

“King Of Steel wouldn’t be running unless Roger felt he had taken his race well,” said Dettori.

“The atmosphere (at Ascot) was unreal and I thought the roof was going to come off the stand. He had to fight for it and had a hard race but he weighs 570 kilos, he has plenty of meat there and I’m sure Roger wouldn’t bring him unless he was happy.”

Of his other mounts, he added: “Zandon is drawn two in the Classic, he was third in the Kentucky Derby and stays well. He might be overpriced at 20-1.

“Unquestionably has rock-solid form in the Juvenile Turf. He’s fulfilled expectations and I’m looking forward to him.

“Starlust (Juvenile Turf Sprint) has a couple rated higher than him but he ran well in the Middle Park.”

Of course, Santa Anita is soon to become Dettori’s home and he is now on the hunt for a house.

“I’ve been here a week and I’m loving it. I’ve settled in as well as I could have hoped and have been house hunting with my wife Catherine,” he said.

“I’ve known since August that I was going to carry on and it was hard to keep it a secret, it was a weight off my shoulders when it came out.

“I’ve seen everyone I know here and refreshing connections ahead of the opening day.”

Pakistan are targeting a late push for the Cricket World Cup semi-finals after a convincing seven-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Faced with a target of 205 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Pakistan made light work of knocking it off, thanks in large part to opener Fakhar Zaman's 74-ball 81, which included seven sixes.

That victory moved Pakistan onto six points, with two pool matches - against third-placed New Zealand and lowly England - remaining.

Should they win both, then Babar Azam's side stand a strong chance of qualifying, though they will also rely on both the Black Caps and Australia, who both have a match in hand, slipping up.

"Credit to the boys, the way they played in all three departments," said captain Babar at the post-match presentation.

"We know how well Fakhar plays when he's going and it was good to see him do it.

"We are trying to win our remaining matches and see where we stand. This win hopefully gives confidence in the coming matches."

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have been eliminated, with their captain Shakib Al Hasan saying: "Not enough runs.

"We lost an early wicket, then we had partnerships but not big ones that would allow us to go big in the last ten overs."

Shakib put on 43 to complement a 45 from Litton Das and Mahmudullah's 56, but Bangladesh were bowled out for 204 after only 45.1 overs.

Fakhar's superb knock and Abdullah Shafique's 68 swiftly paved the way for Mohammad Rizwan (26 not out) and Iftikhar Ahmed (17no) to seal victory for Pakistan in the 33rd over.

It was just the fourth time Pakistan had defeated a team with at least 100 balls remaining in an ODI, having last done so against West Indies in 2011. The big win boosted their net run rate, which may still prove decisive in the battle to reach the semis.

"I practiced a lot after the Asia Cup," said Fakhar, who after hitting three successive ODI centuries earlier this year, had failed to score above 33 in his 11 innings since the start of May and lost his place in the side.

"Thankfully, I was feeling very good in the camp. I was looking forward to scoring for my team, but it's cricket, Today I got a chance. I had worked hard for this and it paid off.

"It doesn’t matter how the wicket will play, I know I can hit sixes, so I was just looking to play out the first four overs.

"My role is always to make it easy for my partner. I know my role, it was to see off the first four overs and then go for the ball. We were just looking to finish the game before the 30 overs.

"After too many failures I was always looking just to score the first 30 runs and I was struggling to get that. I’m very happy – hopefully I'll make it big in the next games."

Shaheen Afridi, meanwhile, joined Australia spinner Adam Zampa at the top of the wicket-taking charts for the tournament with figures of 3-23.

David Moyes expects Declan Rice to be “welcomed with open arms” when he returns to West Ham with Arsenal on Wednesday.

England midfielder Rice will face his old club for the first time since joining the Gunners for £105million in the summer when the teams meet in the Carabao Cup.

The 24-year-old made 245 appearances for West Ham and captained them to victory in the Europa Conference League, the club’s first silverware in 43 years.

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The Hammers fans are not exactly renowned for giving former players a warm welcome upon their return with another club, but boss Moyes believes Rice will get the recognition he deserves when he runs out at the London Stadium.

“You’ve got to remember this is the man who lifted this club’s first European trophy in more than 50 years,” said Moyes.

“He should be welcomed back with open arms. We’re all looking forward to seeing him again.

“He was a brilliant member of the team. He led the team brilliantly well. He conducted himself impeccably as a West Ham captain and as a player.

“The most important thing was that he gave 100 per cent in every game, even though we sort of knew he probably wasn’t going to stay at West Ham. So all credit to him. He conducted himself brilliantly well and for that alone he deserves to be cheered.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Dec again. I’ve not seen him since he left. I don’t know if I want him to play, but I hope he’s there.”

Moyes is likely to include Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez against Arsenal as both are suspended for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brentford after collecting five bookings.

Former Arsenal players Lukasz Fabianski and Konstantinos Mavropanos will also be involved along with Emerson Palmieri, who is back from a ban.

LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell feel the Los Angeles Lakers are "figuring it out" after they battled to a win over the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers improved to 2-2 with a 106-103 home win over the Magic on Monday, a night after they had suffered a gruelling overtime defeat on the road against the Sacramento Kings.

Coach Darvin Ham had considered resting James for the second half of their back-to-back, but he played for another 33 minutes despite ankle soreness, contributing 19 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Davis impressed again with 26 points and 19 rebounds, while Russell scored 12 of his 28 points in the final 12 minutes to see off a determined Magic (1-2) team.

"What you guys see is a team figuring it out," Russell, who also had eight assists, said after the game, per ESPN. 

"This isn’t the product that it will be in a month or two from now. 

"Every game matters. Every clutch situation matters. Every practice matters. So we are figuring it out."

LeBron was similarly optimistic after the Lakers moved to 2-0 at home, with a big game against city rivals the Clippers – who are bringing in James Harden – up next.

"We’re going to continue to get better," said the 38-year-old. "I think we’re still a little trying to figure it out, which is OK. 

"We’re four games in. We’re going to get a lot better throughout the season, but so far we like some of the things we see."

Davis was impressed to see the Lakers pull out the win even with tired legs after their loss to the Kings.

"It just shows a resiliency that we have as a team, but also knowing that if we get in those situations, we know what to do," Davis said. 

"Guys are not rushing shots or making bad plays. Just doing what we need to do for our teammates."

Gary Harris Jr. scored 17 points and hit all five of his 3-point attempts for the Magic, who will have the chance to gain revenge when these two teams play each other again in Orlando on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Kings guard De'Aaron Fox – who impressed with 37 points against the Lakers – has been ruled out of Wednesday night's game at the Golden State Warriors with an ankle sprain.

And Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was forced to miss his team’s 122-114 defeat at the Milwaukee Bucks due to a bruised hip.

Mauricio Pochettino called for Chelsea’s fans to believe and show trust in his side after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford left them in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The Stamford Bridge crowd booed Chelsea off at full-time against the Bees after a third home defeat piled pressure on Pochettino.

The Chelsea boss understands the supporters’ frustration and suggested other reasons behind their inconsistent performances.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup last-16 clash against Blackburn on Wednesday, Pochettino said: “I think they need to be with us and I know it’s difficult to keep your feelings and it’s normal.

“The fans want to win and are frustrated and they show emotion but the message is to believe and to show trust in us and for sure it’s about the process of trusting and believing.

“There are so many details, what has happened (which contributed to Chelsea’s form) and you always need some luck.

“One of the situations that happened is the injury of Christopher Nkunku – he is a player we signed with an objective to provide the team and to help put us in a different position.

“In some games we created chances and did not score, we did not get what we deserved. I think we deserve more if we talk about our performance. We need to be more aggressive.

“In the last game we created chances and we were better than Brentford who blocked very low.

“It’s not enough and we need to criticise ourselves at the moment.”

A Carabao Cup trophy would soften the blow of Chelsea’s poor start to the 2023-24 campaign.

Pochettino highlighted the importance of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and insisted that he will field a strong team in a bid to advance to the quarter-finals.

He added: “It’s really important. The FA Cup and the Carabao Cup are really important for us and tomorrow (against Blackburn) we will play with our best team, some players need a rest after Saturday’s game so we cannot take risks.”

Reece James has come off the bench in recent weeks as part of his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained in August.

And Pochettino confirmed the Blues skipper will start at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

He said: “I can confirm he is going to start. The captain is ready, which is good for the team and good for him to start from the beginning of the game and we will check on him and see how he’ll perform.”

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior has agreed a new contract extension with Real Madrid until the summer of 2027.

Vinicius’ previous contract was set to expire in 2024, and it has been reported an updated deal – said to include a 1billion euro (£873,500m) release clause – had been agreed for some time before being made public.

In a video clip on Real’s social media, Vinicius said: “Hello Madrid fans, I am very happy to renew my contract. It is a dream for me.

“I hope I can continue here for many years, scoring many goals and winning many titles. Thank you very much for the love. Hala Madrid!”

A short statement on the club’s official website read: “Real Madrid and Vini Jr have agreed to extend the player’s contract, which remains linked to the club until June 30, 2027.”

After starting his career with Flamengo, Vinicius, 23, joined Real as an 18-year-old and has gone on to make 235 first-team appearances, scoring 63 goals.

Vinicius has won the LaLiga title twice as well as the Champions League in 2022, with his goal securing a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris.

At Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Vinicius was presented with the Socrates Award for his work to fight social inequality in Brazil and the ongoing battle against racism.

Following defeat in El Clasico, reports emerged some Barcelona supporters had directed racist abuse towards the Real forward.

Speaking about the ongoing issues when accepting his award, Vinicius said: “It’s boring to have to talk about racism all the time, but it’s an important thing and I will talk about it as often as I have to.

“To have people abuse me at different stadiums is sad. I hope things can change, they are getting better.

“(But) LaLiga, UEFA and FIFA can do more to make sure these people are not here among us.”

Captain Siya Kolisi dedicated Rugby World Cup glory to “every South African” during a triumphant homecoming in Johannesburg.

The Springboks received a rapturous welcome on Tuesday as they were greeted by thousands of fans at a packed OR Tambo International Airport.

South Africa retained the Webb Ellis Cup thanks to Saturday evening’s 12-11 success over New Zealand in Paris to become the first nation to win the men’s competition four times.

Flanker Kolisi, who also led his country to victory against England in the 2019 final in Japan, paraded the trophy through the huge crowd.

“Today, South Africa showed us exactly who we did it for,” he said, according to a press release from the South African Rugby Union.

“On behalf of the team, we’d like to thank the people of South Africa. It was a tough 20 weeks, but there was four years of planning behind that.

“When we won the World Cup in 2019, people didn’t think we would do it – instead, they were hopeful because the plan was always for 2023, but things changed and we won in 2019, and this time our people expected us to win.

“This was not about us as players. This victory was for every South African, and we showed what is possible with this diverse team.”

Kolisi, South Africa’s first black captain, overcame childhood poverty to become a two-time world champion.

The 32-year-old has repeatedly spoken of the Springboks being motivated by the everyday struggles endured by millions of their compatriots.

“As a team, we want to be a reference point for our people, to show them how we can do it, and hopefully they’ll get hope from this team,” he continued.

“Another important thing for us was to transform while winning. But we’d also like this to extend beyond sport and what is happening in South Africa, and how people see things going forward.

“We may not be able to change people’s circumstances, but we can give hope we can inspire people.”

The Springboks won the World Cup for the first time in 1995 following a 15-12 victory over the All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

South Africa’s sports minister Zizi Kodwa referenced former president Nelson Mandela, who presented the trophy to skipper Francois Pienaar following that victory 28 years ago, as he lauded the achievement of the current side.

“The team’s performances on and off the field was an expression of former president Nelson Mandela’s saying that ‘sport has the power to change the world, sport can create hope where once there was only despair’,” Kodwa said.

“This victory pays homage to his vision, and it’s a dream to see the nation so united.”