Fifa has confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, capping off one of the most contentious decisions in the organization’s turbulent history.
The Gulf state will stage the 48-team tournament in 15 stadiums across five cities, most likely in the winter, in a decision that Amnesty International says “will put many lives at risk” and has sparked criticism from NGOs, trade unions, legal and governance experts, and supporters.
Because Fifa sped up the bidding process, Saudi Arabia was the only country that could bid for 2034. People have been waiting for this news for more than a year.
It was confirmed on Wednesday in a strange virtual congress of Fifa’s 211 members. The meeting had a lot of technical issues, and important decisions were made by acclamation, which is a lot of hands clapping on a wall of video screens.
It was also confirmed that Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will host the 2030 World Cup. The tournament will begin with three “centennial celebration matches” in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
Gianni Infantino, president of Fifa, said that the way hosts were chosen without a vote had “shown unity” in the football community. “In a world that is divided, you have shown that we are all part of the same global community,” he said. There are differences between us, and we know that. But we are learning to accept them and treat each other with respect.
Of course we know about the doubters and fears. I am sure that our hosts will take care of all the problems that come up, and I expect them to put on tournaments that make the world proud.
We expect and look forward to these things: improvements in society and protections for human rights. The World Cup shines a special light on what can and should be improved, which is a good thing because it means this can be dealt with effectively and there can be real, long-lasting change.
The Saudis were thankful to be chosen to host the World Cup and promised “an extraordinary version of the World Cup” in 10 years. Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, the minister of sports, said, “For us, soccer or football is more than just a sport.”
“Everyone shares this value with us.” I am excited to host this event and many more in the future. Together, we can make football history. Now is my chance to invite you all to come to my kingdom and celebrate our culture. This is your chance to see the biggest success story in real life.
Fifa gave the Saudi bid a great review, which came out last month. It said that there was a “medium” chance of human rights violations and that “the bidder commits to upholding international human and labor rights throughout the entire competition.”
However, it also said that there needed to be “effective enforcement, without which the risk of indecent working conditions could be elevated” and that “implementing the different measures outlined in the Human Rights Strategy, especially in certain areas, could require a lot of work and time.”
Steve Cockburn, who is in charge of labor rights and sports for Amnesty International, did not expect any good news. “Many lives will be in danger because FIFA was careless and gave the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without making sure there are enough protections for human rights,” he said.
“So far, there is clear evidence that Fifa knows workers in Saudi Arabia will be exploited and even die if fundamental reforms are not made. However, they have decided to go ahead with their plans anyway.” The group runs the risk of being held responsible for many of the abuses of human rights that will happen after.
Two international trade unions, the International Trades Union Confederation – Africa and the Building and Woodworkers’ International, have both complained to the International Labour Organization and the UN about how migrant workers are treated in Saudi Arabia.
From January 2022 to October 2024, the Business and Human Rights Resource Center kept track of 82 cases of “corporate abuse of migrant workers” in the country.
The data was released on Wednesday. It said that one in four of these cases involved construction workers, and the group said that workers on the Aramco stadium in Al Khobar, which is one of eleven new stadiums that need to be finished by 2034, were working 10-hour shifts in 45C heat.
Both bids were backed by the English Football Association, which joined the act of acclamation. It said in a statement that it stood by its decision and that it had talked with Saudi officials about how to protect LGBTQ+ fans who want to travel to the tournament.
“Football is a game for everyone around the world,” the statement said. “Being committed to diversity and inclusion means treating everyone with respect, no matter what religion or culture they come from.”
We also believe that hosting the World Cup can lead to positive change, which can be achieved best by working together with the host countries. We will work with UEFA and FIF to make sure they keep their promises to respect all human rights.
Norway and Switzerland were the only countries that said they were worried about the bidding process.
Rodney Dixon KC and other human rights experts told FIFA in October that it was “dealing with the devil” by planning to hold the tournament in Saudi Arabia. They sent a legal letter to Fifa warning that the organization’s reputation was “in tatters and the game of football has been denigrated.”
Dixon, who helped Hatice Cengiz whose husband Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, said, “Fifa should demand that Saudi Arabia at the very least free political opponents who are in jail, stop torturing prisoners, protect women’s rights, allow free speech and association, protect workers’ rights, and set up an independent judiciary.” According to FIFA’s own rules, if these conditions are not met, the host country should be changed.