Football: Saudi Arabia Awarded FIFA World Cup 2034
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The Men’s FIFA World Cup in 2034 has been awarded, in a virtual extraordinary congress of FIFA held on 11 December 2024, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, apparently the only contender for the event.
Apart from the apparent lack of transparency in the biding process, this award has been criticised on the grounds of lack of human rights in the Kingdom, where homosexuality is illegal and women’s rights are repressed under the so-called male guardianship system, and the potential abuse of migrant workers, who will be involved in building the 11 new stadiums needed to stage the event.
It is claimed that the awarding of this event is another example of so-called ‘sports washing’, designed to divert the world’s attention from these issues.
However, the Saudi Authorities claim that the award of this major global sports event is part of a policy drive to steer the economy from an oil-based one to a tourism and sports based one, making the Kingdom a hub of international sports events.
In support of the Saudi bid, a Human Rights Strategy, which apparently does not include any mention of LGBTQ+ rights, and a so-called Independent Context Assessment have been submitted, the latter document having been described by the Human Rights Group, Amnesty International, as a “whitewash”.
In fact, in a Survey of political rights and civil liberties conducted in 210 countries and territories, Saudi Arabia came 192nd, with a score of 8/100.
One final point: the Saudi 2034 Men’s FIFA World Cup will have to be staged during the Winter months, to avoid the intense Summer heat in the Kingdom, and this is expected to play havoc with the already crowded football calendar!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
