FIFA Designates Saudi Arabia as Host for 2034 World Cup Amidst Disputes
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Zurich (Switzerland), Dec 11 (NationPress) The International Football Federation, FIFA, made a significant announcement on Wednesday regarding the hosts for its next two men's World Cup editions. In a controversial decision, it has confirmed Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 tournament while designating Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as co-hosts for the 2030 event.
FIFA has decided on Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup despite multiple organizations expressing concerns about the nation’s alleged record of human rights abuses. The hosts for both World Cups were ratified during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting held on Wednesday, with all 211 member nations participating via video link.
The 2030 tournament will commemorate 100 years of the competition, with three matches scheduled to take place in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The opening match will be hosted in Uruguay, which held the first finals in 1930, followed by games in Argentina and Paraguay.
The selection process for both tournaments and the centenary celebrations was conducted through two distinct votes. The first vote confirmed Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina as centenary hosts.
Following that, the Extraordinary FIFA Congress affirmed the three hosts for 2030, with Saudi Arabia being awarded the 2034 event. Notably, Saudi Arabia was the only bidder for the finals scheduled a decade away. The Middle-Eastern nation, along with the 2030 host nations, received approval through an online FIFA Congress vote.
Saudi Arabia was the sole interested party during the bidding, as the prior agreement allowing South America to host the opening games for 2030 had been established back in October of the previous year, thus paving the way for Saudi Arabia to secure the 2034 finals.
On the same day the agreement for the 2030 tournament was announced, Saudi Arabia expressed its interest to host the subsequent World Cup, with FIFA limiting new interest to nations from the Asian and Oceania confederations and setting a tight deadline for declarations.
Despite FIFA's inclination towards Saudi Arabia hosting the event, many members have voiced their discontent regarding the decision due to the ongoing human rights concerns associated with the regime.
The Norwegian Football Federation declared on Tuesday that it would refrain from any votes by acclamation, criticizing the process FIFA employed to select the hosts for 2030 and 2034 as “flawed”.
Human rights organization Amnesty International remarked last week on the “deafening silence” from national governing bodies regarding Saudi Arabia's hosting, contrasting it with the vocal opposition faced by Qatar during the staging of the 2022 finals.
European nations have also expressed their disapproval of Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034, primarily due to their plans to hold the tournament in the winter months. Any attempts to schedule the 2034 finals in the winter to avoid the extreme summer heat will likely be met with opposition from Europe’s domestic leagues, which are already engaged in legal disputes with FIFA.
Thus, the contention surrounding the 2034 World Cup has not concluded with FIFA's selection of Saudi Arabia; it is expected to persist in both legal channels and international forums over the forthcoming years.
