Why has Saudi Arabia been awarded the 2034 FIFA World Cup?

FIFA has revealed the hosts of the 2034 World Cup and it is Saudi Arabia that has been chosen to host the tournament.

The election and decision-making process have been controversial, with FIFA coming under fire an important scrutiny as a result, but Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in sports will reach its peak when the Middle Eastern country hosts the world’s biggest sporting event.

But why has Saudi Arabia been chosen as the host, when will the tournament take place and why is the decision controversial?

FIFA confirmed its decision to award host status to Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup on Wednesday 11 December.

It was announced by the governing body along with the decision to make Spain, Portugal and Morocco joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, with three matches of this tournament held in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the competition.

It is the third tournament organized in Asia after the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan and the 2022 one. World Cup in Qatar

FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke about the alleged reasons why Saudi Arabia was awarded the 2034 World Cup during the announcement.

“The 2034 FIFA World Cup, the first of the new century, so to speak, of World Cups, will be a spectacular event,” the 54-year-old said. “What Saudi Arabia has put forward in its bid is absolutely incredible.

“It is unique, Saudi Arabia, a country that has been opening up to the world for several years now with an organizational process fully on track and the FIFA World Cup will certainly be a catalyst for social improvements and change social

“And we will work, all together, to further open Saudi Arabia to the world to make sure that the world sees (the country), that it witnesses the welcoming elements of Saudi Arabia: the nature, the culture, the food . Everything, that not only the football fans, but everyone in the world.”

There are countless reasons why the 2034 World Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia is so controversial.

One aspect is the country’s shocking human rights record. Gender equality in Saudi Arabia is another hot topic, with women and girls severely restricted in what they can do, while there is no free press and homosexuality is illegal. These questions were raised before the Qatar World Cup, but often fell on deaf ears.

The holding of the World Cup has been seen by many charities and human rights activists as an attempt by Saudi Arabia to “wash” its sporting reputation and image, using sport to cover up the controversies and problems of the country

The decision-making process has also been criticized. Saudi Arabia was the sole bid for the 2034 World Cup, with FIFA changing its criteria and eligibility for host countries. The governing body stated that the tournament should be held in Oceania or Asia due to the 2030 World Cup being held on three continents (Europe, Africa and South America), thus limiting the amount of competition and the number of viable offers that could rival Saudi. of Arabia

Not only that, FIFA also shortened the time allotted to those preparing the bids to just 25 days, meaning that many countries were unable to come up with a proposal in time. Unsurprisingly, Saudi Arabia launched its bid almost immediately after these rules were put in place.

No official dates have been released for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, but reports suggest the competition will be held during the winter months.

Like the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which was held in November and December, high temperatures and humidity in Saudi Arabia mean a winter tournament is likely.

While Saudi Arabia have refused to rule out the possibility of a summer World Cup, a mid-season tournament looks much more likely at present.

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