The International Football Federation (FIFA) is preparing to open yet another dark chapter in its history, punctuated by political and financial scandals.
At the end of a process as opaque as it is padlocked, the 211 national federations members of the body will award – barring a very improbable twist of events – on Wednesday December 11, the 2034 edition of the Men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia. and thus offer a Middle Eastern country the organization of its flagship tournament for the second time, after the controversial designation of Qatar, host of the event in 2022.
FIFA’s technical evaluation teams awarded the Saudi entry a flattering score of 419.8 out of 500 – a score slightly higher than the trio of Spain, Portugal and Morocco (416.8), who brigue, Wednesday, the 2030 edition. The inspectors mandated by the body were receptive to the financial and commercial arguments of the kingdom. They also seem to have been convinced by his titanic construction projects – eight stadiums out of the fifteen hosting the matches remain to be built, including the monumental King Salman International Stadium and its 92,000 seats.
So what does it matter if several questions remain unanswered? Like that of the period of organization of the competition. “Taking into account the climatic conditions [les plus grandes enceintes se situent dans la capitale, Riyad, ou dans la ville côtière de Djedda, où les températures peuvent atteindre 50 °C en été]football calendar and other major sporting, cultural and local events [le ramadan, le pèlerinage de la Mecque]the exercise of identifying the optimal window for the tournament involves certain complexities”recognizes the instance in its evaluation report.
But the ten years which separate the designation from the kick-off of the competition “constitute a particularly attenuating circumstance” in the eyes of FIFA, “as well as the flexibility and willingness to cooperate demonstrated by the candidate”.
“A decision motivated solely by money”
Same argument when tackling the thorny issue of respect for human rights. Several NGOs, such as Amnesty International, have warned of the country’s poor record in this area and called for an interruption of the designation process.
On the FIFA side, the risk is judged ” AVERAGE “. In its evaluation report, the body emphasizes the “substantial efforts” and the “concrete commitments made by the application and all local stakeholders”. “The ten-year implementation period as well as the pace of progress made in recent years are elements to be taken into consideration,” insists FIFA, emphasizing Vision 2030, the immense economic diversification plan promoted by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed Ben Salman, known as “MBS”. “It is quite possible that the tournament will serve as a catalyst for some of the reforms underway”she argues.
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