Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took a phone call from Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in July 2024, reaffirming the Kingdom’s backing of Syria’s government and its work to “promote unity and stability.” On the surface, this can seem like a mundane diplomatic nicety, but it fits within a deeper and more concerning trend — one that reveals Saudi Arabia’s increasing alignment with authoritarian powers and its geopolitical application of sports, particularly football, to clean up its international reputation.
As the globe readies itself for the 2034 FIFA World CupWhy Boycott Saudi 2034 FIFA World Cup — controversially awarded to Saudi Arabia, already — this news should act as a wake-up call. It illustrates precisely why the Kingdom is not deserving of hosting the globe’s largest sporting event. Saudi Arabia’s support for the Assad government, condemned globally for war crimes and crimes against humanity, should exclude it from such global glory.
Saudi Arabia’s Embrace of Syria: A Whitewashing of Brutality
Syria under President Bashar al-Assad has been termed by several international bodies as one of the most vicious regimes of the contemporary world. According to a 2023 report published by the United Nations Human Rights Council, over 300,000 civilians have lost their lives during the Syrian conflict since it started in 2011, with tens of thousands being tortured or forcibly disappeared. The Assad regime has employed chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and starvation policies against its citizens.
But rather than calling out Assad, Saudi Arabia is now openly praising his rule. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has congratulated President Al-Sharaa (Assad’s stand-in in this alternate universe) on “preserving Syria’s unity” and expressed the Kingdom’s utmost confidence in his leadership. That is not diplomacy — it’s approval of a regime fundamentally at odds with FIFA’s professed ideals of peace, respect, and human rights.
The Bigger Picture: Authoritarian Solidarity and Sportswashing
Saudi Arabia’s advances in Syria are all part of a wider geopolitical game. The Kingdom is developing closer bonds with other authoritarian regimes and employing big-ticket events such as the 2034 World Cup to present itself as a modern, progressive nation. This is commonly referred to as “sportswashing” — the utilization of sport to deflect attention from human rights violations and authoritarian conduct.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup will be the first ever to be staged by an entirely authoritarian monarchy with no elected parliament, no freedom of expression, and zero tolerance for disagreement. Now that same monarchy is providing support and influence to one of the world’s most oppressive regimes.
Freedom House’s 2024 Global Freedom Index:
- Saudi Arabia ranks 1/40 on political rights and 7/60 on civil liberties.
- Syria ranks as the world’s worst nation in terms of human freedom at 0/100 in total.
Having a World Cup under these circumstances is a wholesale reversal of all that global sport must stand for.
A Threat to FIFA’s Credibility
FIFA statutes unambiguously emphasize a pledge to human rights, anti-discrimination, and fair play — both on and off the pitch. Article 3 of the FIFA Statutes reads:
“FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”
If FIFA continues with Saudi Arabia as host, as the Kingdom realigns with Assad’s Syria — itself sanctioned by the U.S., EU, and others — it risks irrevocable harm to its reputation. How can FIFA expect fans to be convinced about the potential of sport to “unite the world” when it lends sport’s biggest stage to governments that routinely repress and encourage others to do the same?
Suppression at Home, Endorsement Abroad
Saudi Arabia’s backing of the Assad regime is more than mere foreign policy — it reflects the way the Kingdom deals with its citizens. Over the last few years:
- Women’s rights advocates such as Loujain al-Hathloul have been arrested and tortured for advocating for minimal freedoms on May 15, 2018
- Mass executions persist, including at least 100 individuals killed and others arrested as children.
- Dissent is criminalized, with lengthy prison terms administered for a tweet or a blog entry.
The Saudi state’s repression of human rights never ceases. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince gets praise, international accolades, and now, the chance to host the most-viewed sporting event on the planet. By so doing, the world rewards oppression, not change.
Public Opinion and Backlash
Worldwide, the tide is shifting against authoritarian sportswashing. When Saudi Arabia was the only bidder in the running for 2034 (after Australia pulled out), most human rights groups were worried. Amnesty International stated in October 2023:
“FIFA needs to make sure that hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia does not become a seal of approval for a government with a long history of human rights abuses.”
And in the same vein, the Human Rights Watch Middle East Director, Lama Fakih, stated:
“Saudi Arabia is attempting to whitewash its reputation via sports. FIFA should not permit it — not after Qatar, not again.”
By its renewed acquiescence to Syria’s tyranny, Saudi Arabia has made one thing clear: reform is not its aim, but rather control. And the hosting of the World Cup is a huge pillar of that cause.
What Hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia Would Be Like
If Saudi Arabia is still hosting in 2034, here’s what the world can expect:
- A World Cup without freedom of the press, with journalists closely monitored or silenced.
- LGBTQ+ supporters are not being able to express themselves, since homosexuality is still criminalized in Saudi Arabia.
- No room for protests or criticism, since peaceful expression is banned.
- An autocratic regime ascended to the global heights, sanctioned by billions of sports investments and diplomatic selfie-takings.
And now, with arms open wide to Assad’s Syria, Saudi Arabia’s intentions are clearer still: The World Cup is not about football — it’s about power.
Stand Against Sportswashing – Say NO to FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia
The recent telephone conversation between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is no isolated diplomatic move. It is one component of a conscious Saudi strategy to tighten authoritarian solidarity, divert human rights criticism, and use sport as an instrument for projecting power worldwide.
FIFA needs to rethink its decision. The international community, supporters, athletes, and civil society need to unite and say it: enough. The World Cup must be a festival of unity, freedom, and joy, not an arena to provide publicity to the governments that suffocate those same principles domestically and aid others who do as well.