Global soccer’s governing body, FIFA, is set to reveal the hosts for the upcoming 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups at a meeting on Wednesday. The announcement, however, is unlikely to come as a surprise; Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are expected to be confirmed as the joint hosts for the 2030 tournament, while Saudi Arabia stands as the sole candidate for the 2034 edition. Despite the apparent certainty, the Saudi bid has sparked considerable controversy.
The Saudi Push for the 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia’s bid is part of a broader ambition to transform the nation into a global sports and economic powerhouse. This strategy aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, a plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) aimed at diversifying the kingdom’s economy beyond oil and establishing its presence on the international stage.
Saudi Arabia has made substantial investments in various sports through its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This includes acquisitions and sponsorships in golf, boxing, esports, and Formula One, as well as the high-profile purchase of English Premier League club Newcastle United. The recruitment of major soccer stars, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar Jr., has also highlighted the nation’s ambition to become a major player in global football.
Hosting the 2034 World Cup would be a crowning achievement, cementing Saudi Arabia’s entry into the world of elite sports. The kingdom has committed to extensive infrastructure projects, including the construction or renovation of 11 stadiums and the addition of 185,000 hotel rooms to accommodate visitors.
Human Rights Concerns Against Saudi Arabia
However, this bid has attracted criticism due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised alarms over what it describes as an “unimaginable human cost” tied to the tournament. The organization’s report, titled “Die First, and I’ll Pay You Later,” argues that hosting the World Cup is part of a “sportswashing” strategy to distract from the kingdom’s human rights abuses.
HRW has pointed to the “Kafala” sponsorship system, which still binds many migrant workers to individual employers and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. The system has been linked to issues such as wage theft, passport confiscation, and forced labor. While Saudi Arabia has introduced some reforms, the organization argues that significant problems persist, leaving workers in a position of disproportionate control by employers.
The report also highlights restrictions on press freedom, the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, and the treatment of women. According to Lina al-Hathloul, Head of Monitoring and Advocacy at ALQST for Human Rights, these issues underscore the authoritarian nature of the regime under MBS. Al-Hathloul has firsthand experience of this reality; her sister was arrested in 2018 for leading a women’s rights organization and remains under a travel ban.
FIFA’s Stance on Saudi Arabia
FIFA has acknowledged the human rights challenges posed by Saudi Arabia’s bid but has categorized the risk as “medium” following an assessment conducted by AS&H Clifford Chance, a law firm based in Riyadh. FIFA stated that the report indicated potential positive human rights impacts through hosting the tournament, citing the kingdom’s ten-year timeframe to address these issues and its demonstrated commitment to reforms.
However, al-Hathloul criticized FIFA’s report, suggesting that it was flawed due to a lack of engagement with independent human rights organizations within Saudi Arabia. “No independent human rights organization has been able to work in Saudi Arabia, related to the bidding process,” she said.
FIFA’s response to the concerns has been mixed. The organization emphasized its commitment to thorough bidding processes, pointing to the standards established during previous tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Despite this, human rights advocates continue to urge FIFA to delay awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia until significant human rights improvements are made.
Amnesty International has echoed these calls, urging FIFA to halt the process unless there is clear evidence of major reforms. The organization highlighted that the previous World Cup in Qatar had shown the potential for using such events to drive positive change, though it warned against assuming that Saudi Arabia would follow the same path.
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