Saudi Arabia moves on to the controversial 2034 World Cup
The allocations of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups are considered a formality. Notably, host Saudi Arabia is sharply criticized but has now completed another formality. FIFA plans to publish details of the bids.
Saudi Arabia has completed the next formality for the controversial hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. World football governing body FIFA confirmed on Monday the receipt of the bidding dossiers for the two tournaments in 2030 and 2034. FIFA President Gianni Infantino described it as a "milestone in the bidding process." The governing body announced that the papers will be published after the submission deadline on July 31. The official allocation will take place at a FIFA Congress later this year.
There is only one bidder or a joint bid for both tournaments: Spain, Portugal, and Morocco want to host the 2030 World Cup together, with the opening matches to be played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to celebrate 100 years of the tournament. Saudi Arabia is the only bidder for the 2034 World Cup, making the allocation for these nations a formality.
"Seven bidding countries from four confederations have already given so much to football," said Infantino. The bidding process shows "that football unites the world." FIFA announced the publication of the evaluation report on the bids for the fourth quarter.
Criticism from human rights organizations
Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia's bid. Amnesty International recently stated that Saudi Arabia has a shocking human rights record. A similar debate took place before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The German Football Association had not ruled out voting for the allocation to Saudi Arabia. "We will look at this with UEFA and agree on how we will position ourselves within FIFA regarding this candidacy," DFB President Bernd Neuendorf told "Der Spiegel" at the end of June. "The FIFA statutes provide that one should also behave regarding human rights and similar issues. We will not rest on our laurels until then." Neuendorf is a member of the FIFA Council representing the European football union UEFA.
The FIFA President has acknowledged the receipt of the bidding dossiers for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups from Saudi Arabia, marking a significant step in their controversial bid. Despite facing criticism from human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia remains the sole bidder for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
