2034 World Cup: Saudi candidacy “very solid” according to FIFA

However, Saudi commitments to human rights require a “significant effort” over the next ten years.

This is what emerges from a report evaluating the kingdom’s candidacy to organize the competition, published on Saturday by FIFA. The publication of this report comes ten days before the Congress of the International Football Federation which must officially designate on December 11 the host countries for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups.

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for 2034 while the Morocco-Spain-Portugal trio is applying to host the event in 2030, with Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina due to host a match each as part of the centenary of the competition.

“Medium” risks

Saudi Arabia’s 2034 bid file “constitutes a very strong proposal in general, which is reflected in the result of the technical evaluation of the proposed infrastructure (sports and others) and its commercial potential . (…) Taking into account all of these considerations, the candidacy has clearly demonstrated its capacity to host the 2034 World Cup,” notes FIFA.

But the world body specifies that “in terms of human rights, overall, the commitments made for the application of the various measures (…) require a significant effort in time and energy, particularly in certain areas. The assessment of the level of risk reflects these considerations. In its assessment report, FIFA considers the risks regarding respect for human rights to be “medium”.

“There is a significant likelihood that the competition will serve as a catalyst for ongoing and future reforms, and help generate positive human rights outcomes beyond the competition for the people of Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries,” adds FIFA in the document.

Accusations de «sportswashing»

Human rights, a source of intense controversy during the 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar, risk becoming a major subject again after the attribution of the 2034 World Cup to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia, which practices the death penalty and severely limits freedom of expression, is regularly singled out for its record in respecting human rights.

The conservative kingdom, which hosts several international sporting events, is often accused of “sportswashing”, the use of sport to distract attention from its human rights record.

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