FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, on Wednesday confirmed the venues for the next two men’s World Cups, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco set to co-host the 2030 tournament, with matches to be played in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. announced. FIFA also announced Saudi Arabia as the host country for the 2034 World Cup.
Saudi Arabia was being considered as a host country, and the announcement has prompted a backlash from rights groups citing the country’s human rights record.
Harold Cunningham – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Minky Warden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said in a November statement that “FIFA has deliberately ignored this country’s human rights record and is threatening a potential decade-long lead-up to the 2034 World Cup. “This is setting up horrific human rights violations.”
Saudi Arabia’s human rights record
Rights groups point to evidence that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, has presided over numerous documented cases of torture, mass executions and enforced disappearances. Domestic critics of the state, even on social media, face imprisonment and torture.
CIA concludes with ‘high confidence’ that MBS personally ordered the assassination and dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist in 2018 Jamal Khashoggi At the Saudi Embassy in Türkiye.
Saudi Arabia has recently invested heavily in global sports. Accusation of “sports wash” — The use of athletes and competitions to hide repression and authoritarian rule by “cleansing” the country’s image.
Concerns about the 2034 World Cup
According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia’s hosting documents show that in preparation for the World Cup, Saudi Arabia is constructing 11 new and renovated stadiums, more than 185,000 new hotel rooms, and other facilities, including airports and roads. It has been shown that there are plans for large-scale construction work, including infrastructure expansion.
“Saudi Arabia’s huge infrastructure deficit is due solely to construction by migrant workers,” Human Rights Watch said in a report, according to an independent analysis commissioned by the Saudi Football Federation as part of the FIFA bid. added that it was “embarrassingly inadequate.” ”
Human Rights Watch, along with 10 other rights and labor groups, including Amnesty International and Football Supporters Europe, have written to the law firm that prepared the report for the Saudi federation to express their concerns. did. Human Rights Watch said there was no meaningful response from the company.
“None of the migrant workers, victims of human rights crimes, survivors of torture, imprisoned women’s rights defenders, or members of Saudi civil society were consulted about FIFA’s supposedly independent report.” said Worden. “FIFA’s response to the Saudi bid completely fails to carry out the human rights risk assessments and protections for millions of migrant workers that are required to enable the 2034 World Cup to be held.”
