FIFA has confirmed that the 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, while the 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with the opening three matches in South America.
Both bids were uncontested and ratified at FIFA’s online congress on Wednesday, with the Football Associations of England, Scotland and Wales backing the bids.
Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole bidder last year in a controversial process that saw FIFA combine the 2030 and 2034 tournament decisions into one vote, meaning delegates either supported or opposed both bids without separate votes.
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Jamie Weir explains why Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid is so controversial
The FIFA Congress also ratified the centenary of the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in six countries on three continents, with the three opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But the decision to award Saudi Arabia the right to host in 2034 is highly controversial, with critics claiming it is an attempt to “inflate” the image of the authoritarian regime with sport.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for human rights violations, criminalization of homosexuality, restrictions on freedom of speech and lack of women’s rights.
The country will host soccer’s most famous tournament for the first time and is the latest example of Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on global sports.
It hosts Formula 1, boxing, golf and tennis, while the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched LIV Golf and bought Premier League club Newcastle.
Saudi Arabia’s bid was given its highest ever rating by FIFA’s bid evaluation team and deemed only a “moderate risk” to human rights.Amnesty International described FIFA’s report as a “staggering whitewash”.
The 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also be the first time the expanded 48-team tournament will be held in just one country, with the 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
With the agreement reached at the FIFA Council meeting on October 4 of last year, Saudi Arabia was practically handed over to the final stage.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco’s 2030 bid was initially opposed by a South American rival, but it was agreed that South America would instead host the opening three matches of the Centenary 2030 finals, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco hosting the rest.
That meant that only countries in Asia or Oceania could host 2034 under FIFA’s rotation system, and FIFA confirmed that interested nations from those continents had less than a month to put themselves forward.
Saudi Arabia duly did, announcing the new arrangement on the same day Australia announced on October 31 that it would not be a competitor.
The FA has met with Saudi Arabia to ensure the safety of fans
The statement of the FA.
“After careful consideration of the two proposals, we have supported two World Cup bids from Spain/Portugal/Morocco in 2030 and Saudi Arabia in 2034. Both bids are technically strong and meet FIFA’s criteria to host the Men’s World Cup.
“Our focus is to ensure that all our fans can attend and enjoy the tournaments.
“Last month, the FA board met with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to discuss their bid in more detail. We asked them to commit to ensuring that all fans are safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034, including LGBTQ+ fans. They have assured us that they are fully committed to ensuring that they are safe and a welcoming environment for all fans.
“Football is a global game and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of everyone, including all religions and cultures. We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best achieved through collaboration. in partnership with host countries.
“We will work with FIFA and UEFA to ensure that all human rights commitments are met.”
Can the World Cup in Saudi Arabia be held in winter?
The Premier League and other top European divisions are likely to oppose any attempt to host the World Cup in Saudi Arabia this winter.
FIFA’s bid evaluation report notes that temperatures in Saudi Arabia are at their mildest between October and April, with daytime temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in June and July, when the World Cup is traditionally held.
European leagues, which include the Premier League among their members, are already in a legal dispute with FIFA over the lack of consultation on the international calendar, and PA news agency It is understood there are major concerns among the leagues about the chaos of the 2034 Winter World Cup.
The World Cup’s off-season scheduling is also likely to affect both sides of the season, which is interrupted by the finals.
Domestic leagues stopped for the 2022 finals in Qatar, but doing so again will be much more difficult given the expansion of European club competition that has taken place since then, with the World Cup becoming a 48-team tournament.
For the 2026 finals, players must be with their country for up to eight weeks from the start of the compulsory release period on 25 May until the final on 19 July.
“Dangerous decision for FIFA”.
Amnesty International Director Steve Cockburn speaking on Sky Sports News.
“FIFA has human rights requirements as part of its bidding process, which means anyone who wants to host the World Cup has to meet minimum labor standards, freedom of speech standards and make sure people are protected, when the tournament takes place.
“We have done a lot of work on Saudi Arabia over many years and it is clear that this is a very dangerous decision for FIFA.
“There are huge risks for migrant workers, hundreds of thousands of whom will be involved in the tournament, who are at risk of exploitation or even death in extreme heat, residents who may be forcibly evicted from their homes for major projects, fans who may be discriminated against.
“And we know that in Saudi Arabia, anyone who wants to speak out, even peacefully, will end up in jail.
“So it’s an extremely dangerous decision. FIFA failed to negotiate with Saudi Arabia on human rights before awarding it, and it’s not clear if it even tried.”
