After a virtual congress, FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has been formally awarded the 2034 World Cup. Together, Portugal, Morocco, and Spain will host the event in 2030.
To the more than 200 FIFA members present, Infantino stated, “We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not diluted the quality.” In fact, it made the opportunity better.
There was just one bid for each World Cup.
Infantino commended the decision to choose Saudi Arabia, stating that the congress’s vote was unmistakable.
“We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans worldwide,” Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told The Associated Press in a statement.
Using the social media site X, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, Reema Bandar Al-Saud, stated: “The Kingdom is excited to show its global sports leadership immersed in a vibrant culture, while demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and excellence.”
However, organizations that oppose Saudi Arabia’s human rights record are opposing the move.
The action was described as a “moment of great danger for human rights” in a joint statement from 21 groups, which included signatories from international labor unions and international human rights organizations like Amnesty International.
Numerous lives would be lost as a result of FIFA’s careless choice to award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup without making sure sufficient human rights safeguards are in place, the statement said. FIFA has decided to move forward despite the fact that it is well-established that workers in Saudi Arabia will be exploited and possibly killed if major reforms are not implemented. The organization runs the possibility of being held heavily accountable for many of the ensuing violations of human rights.
FIFA has demonstrated that its commitment to human rights is a farce at every turn during this bidding process. In the meantime, there is little reason to believe that lessons have been learnt given its persistent refusal to pay migrant workers who were exploited in Qatar. In order to avoid a decade of exploitation, discrimination, and repression associated with its premier tournament, FIFA must immediately alter its course and guarantee that the World Cup is accompanied by extensive reforms in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized by Human Rights Watch and other organizations for a history of abuse that includes the execution of 81 individuals in a single day in 2022, the imprisonment of women’s rights activists, and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi.
The deaths of migrant laborers who assisted in constructing the infrastructure over extended periods of time in intense temperatures clouded the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In 2022, Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary general of Qatar’s World Cup organizing committee, told Piers Morgan that he did not know the precise number of migrants that perished, but that between 400 and 500 perished.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. From June 11 to July 19, 16 locations will host the 48-team competition. Brazil will host the next Women’s World Cup from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
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