Awarding of 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia will put ‘many lives at risk’, Amnesty International warns

Amnesty have described the decision to award the 2034 tournament to the nation as ‘reckless’

Many lives will be put at risk by the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, human rights campaign group Amnesty International has warned.

The Middle East nation was officially confirmed as hosts at an online Fifa Congress on Wednesday afternoon.

Securing the tournament is arguably the most significant sporting step taken so far by Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of efforts to ‘sportswash’ its reputation through linking itself to major competitions, clubs and events.

Amnesty and other human rights groups have warned about what they see as the multiple risks attached to a Saudi World Cup, and believe Fifa has failed to learn lessons from handing the 2022 event to Qatar.

“Fifa’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,” Amnesty‘s head of labour rights and sport Steve Cockburn said.

“Based on clear evidence to date, Fifa knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless.

“The organisation risks bearing a heavy responsibility for many of the human rights abuses that will follow.”

Fifa’s evaluation report of the Saudi bid gave it the highest score ever for a candidate nation, and rated the country only ‘medium risk’ on human rights criteria.

Cockburn added: “At every stage of this bidding process, Fifa has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham.

“Meanwhile, its continued failure to compensate migrant workers who were exploited in Qatar provides scant confidence that lessons have been learned.”

A 2022 World Cup legacy fund announced by Fifa last month made no mention of compensation to Qatar’s migrant workers, despite a report from one of Fifa’s own sub-committees concluding that the global governing body and the host nation had a “shared responsibility” to remedy the mistreatment of workers.

Fans in Saudi Arabia celebrated the news (Getty Images for Saudi Arabian F)

“Fifa must urgently change course and ensure that the World Cup is accompanied by wide-ranging reforms in Saudi Arabia, or risk a decade of exploitation, discrimination and repression connected to its flagship tournament,” Cockburn said.

The Congress also awarded the 2030 World Cup to principal co-hosts Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with the opening three matches of the centenary tournament to be staged in South America.

Cockburn said the bidding process for that tournament had also been “flawed” and left “significant human rights risks unaddressed”.

“From excessive policing and forced evictions to workers’ rights and legalised discrimination, there remains a huge amount to do to ensure the 2030 tournament can be enjoyed by everyone in full respect of their rights,” he said.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups (AFP via Getty Images)

Labour MP Andy Slaughter told the PA news agency: “Saudi Arabia has a very poor human rights record, particularly in relation to its excessive use of capital punishment.

“It would be wrong for a country with such a poor record on human rights to be rewarded by allowing it to host a major world event.

“It is something which should not be accepted by the international community simply because the country has an unlimited amount of money to spend in investment.”

Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), said of the 2034 decision: “Today is a dark day for human rights and football as a whole.

“This decision is scandalous and yet another example of how fans’ concerns about tournaments we are travelling to are repeatedly ignored.

“Fifa and its affiliated associations seem to have learnt nothing from the mistakes of the past and are not even able to comply with their own regulations regarding human rights.”

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) wrote to Fifa president Gianni Infantino last week underlining the importance of protecting human rights in relation to the 2034 tournament.

“As one of the world’s most influential sport organisations, Fifa has the power to foster positive change,” the chair of the PACE committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, Linda Hofstad Helleland, wrote.

“Hosting a World Cup is more than an honour; it is a responsibility. It is therefore crucial that FIFA sets clear and enforceable rules for Saudi Arabia, as well as for any other host country.”

PA