The world is clearly changing and Football will not look the same in the next decade.
Money talks.
Well.. Qatar set the example and obviously Saudi Arabia can't be left behind. The Qataris are swimming in wads of cash, thanks to sky high prices for their LNG and they took around $300 billion out of it to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We can expect Saudi Arabia to spend a similar amount in 2034. The crown prince (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) has grand plans for Saudi Arabia and he wants to cut dependence on crude oil exports. He believes that whatever amount that is being spent on events such as the World Cup will pay back itself in the next few years. And I agree with him.
Very well said and I think Saudi Arabia will take it to the next level despite what Qatar has already done. In financial numbers, what Qatar has done is insane and at first glance you could think no other country would take it to this extreme. But as you said, MBS has plans that go way beyond just hosting the World Cup 2034. They are conquering the sports world and this, one can imagine, is Saudi Arabia's incentive to let Qatar's World Cup look like a mediocre bar party:
MBS wants Saudi Arabia to not only host the World Cup, but to also become a hub for sports in general. I am sure that over the course of the next ten years we will see changes in the landscape of how international football is organized. Not necessarily fundamental changes, but growing influence for Saudi Arabia and also participatory rights in a somewhat adjusted Champions League format. Winning over huge fanbases is one of the primary goals for Saudi Arabia to gain global influence with soft power, while oil remains their hard power in international political economy issues.