Saudi Arabia confirmed as hosts for 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia has been officially designated as the country that will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
It was also announced that the 2030 World Cup will be hosted by six nations, with matches taking place on three different continents, marking a century of the event.
Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid for the 2034 tournament. Its role as host was officially announced on Wednesday following a virtual meeting with the 211 members of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
The members approved the uncontested bids by applauding during a virtual meeting chaired by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
In addition to the World Cup, Saudi Arabia will also be the host for the 2027 Asian Cup, the 2029 Asian Winter Games, and the 2034 Asian Games. The country has plans to welcome even more significant competitions in the future, such as the Women's World Cup, as reported by Sky Sports News.
The 2030 tournament will be jointly organized by Spain and Portugal in Europe, along with Morocco in North Africa. Additionally, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will each host an opening match to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural World Cup, which was held in Uruguay and won by the home team.
Prior to that, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will join forces to host the 2026 World Cup.
According to Sky Sports News, the Football Association of England (FA) has expressed its endorsement for the upcoming World Cup events scheduled for 2030 and 2034.
Saudi Arabia initially announced its intention to host the World Cup in August, following FIFA's contentious decision to expedite the selection process for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.
However, the proposal for the 2034 tournament has faced backlash from activist organizations, which claim that the laws in Saudi Arabia will not ensure the safety and rights of workers in other countries.
The tournament will necessitate the building of eight new stadiums, bringing the total to 15 venues. Additionally, there will be a need for 175,000 more hotel rooms, which will depend significantly on workers from other countries.
One of the stadiums is set to be built in a city that hasn't been established yet.
Those who are critical of FIFA argue that hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia could lead to a resurgence of the human rights violations experienced during the ten years of preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Labour MP Andy Slaughter criticized the decision, labeling it as a complete example of "sportswashing." Recently, Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance urged FIFA to stop the selection of Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 tournament unless significant improvements in human rights are made public before the vote takes place.
Amnesty International has criticized the nation for engaging in "obvious sportswashing," which refers to the strategy of using sporting events to enhance the reputation of a country or organization, often to draw attention away from unfavorable actions.
A representative from Stonewall mentioned that LGBTQ+ fans might feel uncomfortable and unsafe about the idea of going to the 2034 tournament.
"We've made significant progress."
Responding to the criticism, Hammad Albalawi, who leads Saudi Arabia's bid, stated in early December that the nation has made notable advancements in human rights and is focused on bringing in "more fans than ever" for the event.
He mentioned that Saudi Arabia is dedicated to changing its social and economic environment through Vision 2030, a government initiative that was introduced in 2016.
"We've made significant progress, but we still have much further to travel. Our goal is to create something that suits our needs. According to Mr. Albalawi, our journey began in 2016, and it wasn’t just due to the World Cup bid," he shared with Reuters.
"We’ve introduced programs that allow employees to switch between employers more easily. Their documents are now submitted to government systems, guaranteeing that their contract rights are protected."
He mentioned that the tournament will take place in a setting that is "secure and suitable for families," even though the sale of alcohol is prohibited in the country.
For more information: Uncertainty remains regarding the bidding process. The FIFA World Cup will feature 104 matches in 2026. Increasing the Women's World Cup could strengthen the bid led by England.
Mr. Albalawi mentioned that today's Saudi Arabia offers a family-oriented atmosphere that is both safe and secure, allowing people to truly enjoy their time, whether they're on the field or enjoying leisure activities.
"We strive to gather more teams and fans in one location like never before."
FIFA has previously commended Saudi Arabia's proposal in an internal review, highlighting that the tournament featuring 48 teams and 104 matches presents "considerable chances for a beneficial effect on human rights."
Nevertheless, it emphasized that Saudi Arabia needs to put in considerable effort and time to meet global standards.
