Saudi Arabia controversially awarded 2034 World Cup as FIFA accused of rigging vote

Saudi Arabia has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup, sparking a major backlash against FIFA and the FA amid major human rights concerns regarding the kingdom

Christopher Bucktin United States Editor

15:46, 11 Dec 2024Updated 16:31, 11 Dec 2024

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - DECEMBER 11: FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the Extraordinary FIFA Congress 2024 at the Home of FIFA on December 11, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the hosts of the 2034 World Cup(Image: Harold Cunningham - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia is to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup - much to the fury of human and gay rights groups.

Football 's international governing body handed the tournament to the Middle Eastern country during its virtual congress in Zürich after the bid ran unopposed. The Football Association endorsed Saudi Arabia's submission in a move that sparked further backlash.

‌

Article continues below

Fan groups claim FIFA rigged the vote for the Gulf state by changing the rules for bidding. Under its laws, the organisation's 211 member nations are supposed to select one tournament host through a single vote, and there are usually multiple contenders.

Instead, members voted simultaneously for two tournaments - the World Cup in 2030 and 2034. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, which will have games played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, were named joint hosts of the World Cup in six years.

Football fans immediately gave Saudi Arabia's bid success, FIFA and the FA the red card. Tottenham Hotspur supporter Andy Anderson expressed his disgust on X. He wrote: "So the rainbow flag wavers at the FA backed Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid….. anyone surprised by their ocean-going hypocrisy?

‌

Preston North End fan Adam Salisbury added: "The whole world has blood on its hands supporting Saudi's World Cup bid. Standing by and allowing them a free run at it. Talk about lying down and having your belly tickled with that sweet gulf nectar. The FA and the government can f*** off too.

John James added: "I wonder when the English FA will be telling fans to leave their 'Stonewall Rainbow Laces' at home when heading to the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup."

'Shame on the FA'

The Mirror's Chief Sports Writer Andy Dunn has his say

The national associations - including the Football Association - who waved through Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid with barely a murmur of protest this week should be ashamed of themselves.

Actually, to term the Saudi proposals for the 2034 tournament as a ‘bid’ is misleading. That would imply there was some sort of contest. There wasn’t.

And this outcome has been inevitable since FIFA - led by its president Gianni Infantino - and Saudi powerbrokers started cosying up in the second half of the last decade. Remember the opening game of Russia 2018 when the hosts defeated Saudi Arabia 5-0 in Moscow?

Infantino was seated between Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, MBS to his mates. He loves a powerful man, Gianni. Or ‘Jonny’ as Donald Trump seemed to call him when giving the FIFA overlord several name-checks in a video for the Club World Cup draw last week.

And Jonny was alongside MBS at the opening ceremony of Qatar 2022 in Doha four years later. Earlier that year, Infantino had been in a hospitality suite with MBS, watching Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah.

And four months ago, the pair were again side-by-side in Saudi, sitting next to each other at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. It is a relationship that has brought financial benefits to FIFA, Saudi’s state-owned gas and oil company, Aramco (annual profits, £100billion) now one of the federation’s global partners in a deal worth in excess of £75million a year.

And now, FIFA’s awarding of the 2034 to Saudi Arabia looks like the fulfilment of a personal ambition of Infantino’s. FIFA insists its president has not been on any sort of campaign to take the biggest sporting event in the world to Saudi and has been totally impartial in the bidding process.

“It is false and misleading to suggest the FIFA president is solely responsible for every decision at FIFA,” said a statement. Ok. But what you can definitely say is that it is an outcome with which he will certainly be delighted.

And in that, he will not be alone. If you are a sporting association, to be friends with Saudi Arabia can pay handsomely. Ask the boxing promoters, who take big fight after big fight to the Kingdom.

Ask the LIV golfers, who get paid untold millions by the Kingdom. They are not bothered that the Kingdom is run by an absolute monarchy. They are not bothered that same-sex relationships are illegal in the Kingdom.

They are not bothered that Amnesty International repeatedly accuses the Kingdom of human rights abuses. They are not bothered that no political parties are permitted in the Kingdom.

And, sadly, FIFA, and the vast majority of its 211 associations do not seem to be bothered about those matters either. FIFA claim the whole process that has ended with Saudi Arabia being unopposed in the 2034 World Cup ‘bidding’ was scrupulously fair.

According to FIFA rules and regulations, it might well have been fair. But just because it was fair does not mean it wasn’t shameful. And the FA - yes, the English FA - should be ashamed to have played their silent part.

‌

Josh Cavallo, the first top-flight footballer to come out, exclusively told Mirror Football that he "wouldn't feel safe" playing in a Saudi World Cup. Same-sex relations are illegal in the Middle East country and are punishable by the death penalty, unlimited prison terms, flogging, fines and forced deportation. There have also been accusations of sportwashing, with Saudi Arabia using sport as a vehicle to distract from its polluting oil-heavy economy.

FIFA's decision came as several human rights groups warn of issues – including the abuse of migrant workers, freedom of speech and the rights of minority groups – in the Gulf nation. Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned of an "unimaginable human cost" to hosting arguably the world's biggest sporting event in Saudi Arabia.

A statement from the FA following the decision read: "After a careful review of both proposals, we supported the two World Cup bids - from Spain/Portugal/Morocco in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034.

‌

"Both bids are technically strong and meet the FIFA criteria to host the Men's World Cup. Our focus is on ensuring that all our fans can attend and enjoy tournaments. The FA Board met the Saudi Arabian Football Federation last month to discuss their bid in more detail.

"We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 - including LGBTQ+ fans. They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans. Football is a global game, and is for everyone.

Saudi Arabia's giant flag is seen on the pitch before the start of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 20, 2018. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Major concerns have been raised about Saudi Arabia's human rights record(Image: JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images)

‌

"Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures. We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations. We will work with FIFA and UEFA to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered."

A recent report by the group, titled "Die First, and I'll Pay You Later," argues the country is using the World Cup to "wash away its poor human rights reputation". The report primarily focuses on the treatment of migrant workers, who HRW says will bear the brunt of building Saudi's World Cup dream.

Despite a series of reforms announced by Saudi Arabia in recent years, employers "still hold disproportionate control over workers," HRW said. As part of their bid, Saudi Arabian rulers have promised a futuristic cliff-top venue that will be built 350m above ground when the £1 trillion NEOM mega city emerges from the Saudi Arabian desert.

‌

A further 14 stadiums will also be built. Bid leader Hammad Albalawi insists: "We are a young nation seizing this opportunity."

In April, Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, wrote on X: "Proud to support the dreams of a nation hoping to bring a FIFA World Cup to Saudi in 2034. We're all growing together."

People attend a ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 11, 2024, as the FIFA Congress votes

The ceremony to confirm the hosts was held on Wednesday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

‌

There are also concerns about press freedom, the treatment of LGTBQ+ groups and the rights of women, among others. A recent FIFA report evaluating Saudi Arabia's bid categorised the rights risk as “medium”. The report and designation were based on information provided by AS&H Clifford Chance, a Riyadh-based law firm tasked with providing an independent human rights assessment.

In its report, FIFA added that "there is a good potential that hosting the competition could help contribute to positive human rights impacts in the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030". It also noted, "considerable work and level of concrete commitment demonstrated by the bid and its key stakeholders, together with the demonstrable rate of progress and the 10-year time horizon, are mitigating factors to consider".

However, a Saudi FA-commissioned human rights assessment was labelled a "whitewash [of] the reality of abuse and discrimination faced by Saudi Arabia's citizens and residents" and condemned by Amnesty, HRW and others.

‌

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been lobbying for Saudi Arabia since 2019(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of labour rights and sport, said in a recent statement: "There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform. Fans will face discrimination. Migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die."

Norway was the sole nation to publicly express its decision to oppose the vote. The Norwegian Football Federation's president, Lise Klaveness, said: "The vote is not about who gets the 2030 and 2034 World Cups—that has already been decided. The congress is primarily about providing feedback on Fifa's allocation process.

Article continues below

"The board's assessment is that the process does not align with the principles of a sound and predictable governance system," Klaveness continued. By abstaining from acclamation, we are sending a deliberate signal that we cannot support Fifa's approach."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£43

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.