Egypt has formally requested the opportunity to host a set of group-stage matches for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. The request was made by Hany Abo Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, during the 14th CAF extraordinary general assembly in Cairo on Wednesday.

“Saudi Arabia will stand up and organize a historic edition of the World Cup, and we wish our Saudi brothers every success,” Abo Rida said. “But at the same time, we hope that FIFA President Gianni Infantino will grant us, as Africans and Egyptians, the honor of hosting and organizing one of the World Cup groups in 2034.”

The 2034 tournament will mark the 100th anniversary of Egypt’s historic participation in the World Cup as the first African nation to compete in the 1934 edition held in Italy.

Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed as the host of the 2034 World Cup by the FIFA Congress on December 11, as it was the sole candidate. The kingdom will become the third Arab country to host the tournament, following Qatar in 2022 and Morocco in 2030, the latter of which is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.

Egypt had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2034 World Cup and also launched an unsuccessful bid to co-host the 2030 edition alongside Saudi Arabia and Greece.