Qatar Airways has been renewed as the airline sponsor for the men’s World Cup in 2026 in North America and the 2030 tournament expected to be in Europe, Africa and South America. The state-owned airline initially had a two-tournament deal with FIFA for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition played in Qatar. The World Cup airline slot should next be vacant for the 2034 tournament. That edition is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom plans to launch a second national carrier called Riyadh Air. The value of the new Qatar Airways deal was not disclosed but is likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
