The international soccer authority FIFA has undermined its established protocols on rights protections by fast-tracking plans for the upcoming men’s World Cups, bypassing competitive bids and thorough evaluations of host nations’ records. This shift came into sharp focus on October 4, when FIFA revealed that the 2030 tournament would span Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with additional matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay—countries each grappling with documented rights shortcomings. Hours later, Saudi Arabia declared its intent to claim the 2034 edition, capitalizing on a regional rotation policy that narrows options to Asia and Oceania.
Just a year removed from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where construction tragedies and labor exploitation drew worldwide condemnation, FIFA’s approach raises alarms. The absence of open bidding and rigorous scrutiny invites risks of graft and profound violations, particularly as Saudi Arabia positions itself as the frontrunner. Critics argue this exposes FIFA’s pledges to safeguard participants and workers as hollow rhetoric, especially given the kingdom’s deepening pattern of repression.
FIFA’s 2017 rights policy mandates proactive steps to spot and curb negative impacts from its activities. Article 7 requires collaboration with authorities and stakeholders to honor global rights obligations, including broad input from at-risk communities, athletes, supporters, laborers, and labor groups before finalizing hosts. Bidding nations must pledge adherence to rigorous labor and rights benchmarks, as outlined in FIFA’s reformed process principles. There, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stressed that hosts must embrace sustainable practices and align with United Nations guiding standards on rights and labor.
Yet these standards have not guided recent decisions. In June, FIFA scrapped its planned 2030 bidding reveal, opting instead for simultaneous processes for 2030 and 2034. It invited bids solely from Asian and Oceanian federations for 2034, citing rotation and optimal conditions. The tight October 31, 2023, deadline for interest declarations—mere months for an event a decade away, potentially costing billions—leaves scant room for vital national consultations on safety and rights.
Patterns of Neglect Echo Past Scandals
This mirrors the last dual World Cup awards to Russia and Qatar, where opaque dealings led to arrests of FIFA executives and hosted nations with histories of abuses. Russia’s 2018 event saw 21 worker fatalities during stadium builds, many from preventable falls or machinery mishaps due to lax safety enforcement. Reports highlighted at least 110 North Korean laborers compelled to work on St. Petersburg’s Zenit Arena. Qatar’s 2022 preparations claimed thousands of migrant lives, often ruled “natural” without probes, denying families recourse. Even during the tournament, workers perished from falls—a first for World Cups—while no compensation reached affected kin.
Such precedents underscore why global sports bodies face intense scrutiny. Organizations like FIFA wield immense influence, drawing billions in revenue and billions of viewers. Awarding mega-events to nations with poor rights records amplifies harm: stadiums and infrastructure demand massive migrant labor forces, often under hazardous conditions. International outcry grows when fans, players, and officials encounter discrimination or danger, tarnishing soccer’s global appeal. Critics worldwide decry “sportswashing,” where hosts use events to gloss over repression, eroding trust in the sport and pressuring federations to prioritize ethics over profit.
Saudi Arabia’s Record Fuels Safety and Rights Doubts
Saudi Arabia’s trajectory under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has worsened, marked by mass executions, persistent curbs on women’s autonomy via guardianship rules, and lethal force against migrants at the Yemen border. Peaceful dissenters endure torture and lengthy jail terms—even for social media posts. Extramarital sex, including same-sex relations, carries death penalties, forcing LGBTQ+ individuals into silence amid risks of persecution. Visitors, including players and fans identifying as LGBTQ+, could confront bias, harassment, or worse based on orientation or identity.
Journalists, activists, and monitors operate under siege: jailed, confined, or silenced. Free speech faces draconian limits, incompatible with a World Cup’s demands for open media access. The 2018 slaying and dismemberment of a critical columnist by Saudi operatives—linked to high-level sanction—exemplifies the perils. Repression blocks independent oversight, rendering FIFA’s required ongoing inspections unfeasible.
Migrant workers, numbering around 13.4 million, remain vulnerable despite 2021 tweaks to sponsorship and labor rules. Recruitment scams, unpaid wages, and insufficient heat safeguards persist; fleeing abuse invites criminal charges exploitable by employers. Without unions, free press, or monitors, building stadiums, transport, and hotels portends disasters akin to Qatar and Russia—heatstroke, falls, and uninvestigated deaths.
FIFA has stayed mute on evaluating Saudi conditions, despite welcoming its bid. Past lapses, like scant due diligence for the 2023 Club World Cup in Jeddah, fuel skepticism. Correspondence seeking clarity on host selections and sponsorships went unanswered.
Broader Implications for International Sports Hosting
Global sports federations increasingly grapple with this tension. Hosting in rights-challenged nations risks athlete safety—recall Spain’s football federation head resigning after a non-consensual kiss scandal—and fan vulnerabilities. LGBTQ+ supporters might self-censor or face peril; women could navigate guardianship barriers; journalists risk expulsion or arrest. Laborers bear the brunt, their deaths often erased as “accidents.”
This controversy questions Saudi Arabia’s viability for 2034. Can a nation stifling monitors enforce FIFA’s standards? Will billions in infrastructure evade Qatar-style fatalities? International voices—from athletes to federations—demand accountability, urging delays in rushed bids.
FIFA must reclaim integrity: reopen 2034 bidding, publicize rights and labor policies, enforce them rigorously, and consult stakeholders transparently. Rotation rules should not trump safety. Soccer thrives on unity, not division by avoidable tragedies.
As bids close, the world watches: will FIFA learn from Qatar and Russia, or repeat perils in Saudi Arabia? The stakes—for workers’ lives, fans’ security, and the sport’s soul—demand nothing less.