The ceremony and pomp of the recent trip by U.S. President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia were all about show. Greedily welcomed with extravagant lavender-colored carpet, Arabian horse escort, and personally selected entourage of international business magnates, Trump’s welcome by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was not merely diplomatic—it was calculated. It was another installment in the Saudi Arabian process of rebranding itself on the world stage.
But under the royal spectacle and pageantry is an uglier reality—one of repression, censorship, violence, and authoritarianism. While the kingdom gears up to welcome the 2034 FIFA World Cup, one must ask why such investments in global prestige are being made. Saudi Arabia is not trying to host a football competition; it is trying to whitewash its global reputation by sportswashing.
The Trump Visit: A Glimpse Into Saudi Strategy
Trump’s Tuesday arrival was dramatic if nothing else. Lavender substituted the usual red carpet, representing Saudi desert wildflowers and so-called “generosity.” Trump also wore a purple tie to match, representing solidarity with Saudi hosts. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted him personally on the tarmac—a gesture reserved for use with world leaders. Why the grandiosity? Because Saudi Arabia enjoys the optics of the global stage. And optics-wise, hosting the World Cup is the holy grail. In Trump’s own words at a Riyadh investment forum:
“From the day that we began, we’ve seen wealth that has flowed—and is flowing—into America.”
His words were not an economic critique; they were a moral one. To Trump, being friends with MBS and profiting are more important than Saudi human rights abuses. “I like him too much,” Trump admitted of MBS. “That’s why we give so much.” Let them sink in.
Sportswashing: Glossing Over a Brutal Reality
Saudi Arabia is investing billions in technology, sport, entertainment, and AI. From introducing LIV Golf to acquiring star footballers for its national league, the kingdom is embarking on a calculated push to own its dominance and redirect international focus away from its abuses.
Winning the hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of this strategy—a global tournament viewed by billions, with Saudi Arabia having the ideal platform to put behind it:
- The killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi within a Saudi consulate.
- The arrest and alleged torture of women’s rights activists, such as Loujain al-Hathloul.
- The kingdom’s catastrophic war in Yemen has cost thousands of lives and led to a humanitarian crisis.
- The absence of freedom of expression, political opposition, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Is such a nation deserving of hosting the world’s most renowned sporting event?
Corporate Complicity: Business Over Ethics
Trump was not alone in Riyadh. He was accompanied by his select group of investment and technology leaders: Elon Musk (Tesla), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Larry Fink (BlackRock), and Jensen Huang (Nvidia). None were present to express moral concerns; they were all present to strike deals.
For instance, Nvidia revealed that it was selling more than 18,000 AI chips to a state company in Saudi Arabia, facilitating a regime notorious for censorship and surveillance. The message was unvarnished: Provided the money is there, the ethics can wait.
By letting Saudi Arabia host the World Cup, FIFA would become part of this refrain of complicity, conferring international legitimacy on a regime that jails its critics and quashes dissent.
A Tale of Two Visits: Trump vs. Biden
The juxtaposition with how President Joe Biden was welcomed in 2022 could not be starker. Biden, already having rebuked Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” for the murder of Khashoggi, was welcomed discreetly and awarded a divisive fist bump from MBS.
Trump, meanwhile, was met with honor guards, horses, and full ceremonial pomp. His visit was not a diplomatic nicety—merely a celebration of power and influence, of the way that MBS likes to reward fealty and ignore responsibility.
If FIFA goes ahead and awards Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, it’s extending its fist bump to a regime that does not deserve to be applauded internationally.
Lavender Carpets and Lavish Deals: A Distraction from Repression
Saudi Arabia’s lavish shows—such as the lavender carpet spread for Donald Trump—are not merely symbolic; they are deliberately distracting. They conceal a dark truth of repression, surveillance, and censorship. The kingdom is using world events and VIP stops to try to clean its image globally while cracking down on opposition domestically.
From investing in AI to luxury welcomes, such soft power gestures only serve to further obscure Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record. In our journey to the 2034 FIFA World Cup, do we now halt and inquire: are we worshiping football, or facilitating tyranny behind a velvet curtain?
Football Should Unite, Not Whitewash
The World Cup is supposed to be a festival of world unity, diversity, and community. It unites people above all nationality, gender, creed, and race. Can Saudi Arabia, where women did not have to seek permission to travel until relatively recently, where LGBTQ identities are illegal, and where political dissidents are punished, embody these principles?
Let us not forget: Jamal Khashoggi was brutally killed in 2018 by Saudi agents, reportedly on the orders of MBS. Dissidents in 2023 remain imprisoned for tweeting. But the same regime in 2034 intends to welcome the world with open arms?
That is not unity. That is propaganda.
Why Boycott Saudi 2034?
It is never too soon to act. Football fans, human rights defenders, athletes, and civic organizations need to join forces to insist on FIFA:
- Revoke Saudi Arabia’s rights to host the 2034 World Cup.
- Consider the human rights abuses of member states before conferring major event privileges.
- Set strong moral standards for the choice of World Cup host countries.
- We also need to ask sponsors, broadcasters, and teams to reconsider. While as much pressure drove companies from apartheid South Africa, so too can it drive responsibility now.
Lavender Carpets Can’t Cover Bloodstains
Trump’s red carpet may be splashy, but it won’t rid the hands of Saudi Arabia of bloodstains. Money and technology deals, and sporting competition, can divert the world’s public for a time, but cannot erase the guilt of a regime for its crimes.
The world has a right to a World Cup from a nation that shows humanity at its finest—and not from one that seeks to hide at its worst. FIFA, the ball is in your court.