Saudi Arabia’s recent action to secure a US defense agreement as regional tensions mount yet again underscores the kingdom’s unfitness to host the FIFA World Cup 2034. Buried beneath the sparkling veneer of modernization and sports diplomacy is a highly militarized regime that only prospers when there is regional turmoil, hidden military pacts, and routine human rights abuses. As Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) maintains his international charm campaign, the quest for this agreement with Washington reveals the reality of his regime — one more interested in weapons, war, and power than peace, justice, and human dignity.
A Military Agreement Disguising Aggression, Not Security
The *Politics Today* and *Financial Times* reported that Saudi Arabia is negotiating a defense agreement with the United States based on the US-Qatar deal. The agreement would essentially guarantee Washington’s military defense of Riyadh — that is, any attack on Saudi Arabia would be considered an attack on the US. This is not a step of peace or cooperation; it’s a strengthening of militarization in a nation already ripped apart by decades of war.
When Saudi Arabia ought to be concentrated on reconciliation and diplomacy, the kingdom instead burrows itself further into military blocs. The leaked “Regional Security Construct” documents, as quoted by The Washington Post, show a clandestine alliance between Israel and six Arab nations — including Saudi Arabia — to counter Iran.
Sportswashing the Image of a Militarized State
Saudi Arabia’s increasing involvement in US-dominated defense schemes is tailor-made for its continued “sportswashing” campaign — utilizing international sporting events to divert attention away from its repressive policies and authoritarian regime. Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 is not about growing the sport of football; it’s about cleansing a tarnished global reputation from war crimes in Yemen, mass killings, and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Since 2015, the Saudi military intervention in Yemen has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Based on UN reports, more than 377,000 people have been killed as a direct or indirect consequence of the war and millions are still displaced and starving. In defiance of international denunciation, MBS keeps investing billions in arms imports — turning Saudi Arabia the world’s largest arms importer between 2018-2022, with a total value of almost 9.6% of world arms imports (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI).
These jaw-dropping numbers uncover an addict nation in the business of militarization, not reform. The same government that’s willing to finance warplanes and bombs is eager to welcome the most iconic sporting spectacle in the world — the FIFA World Cup. This is a grotesque contradiction.
FIFA’s Double Standard: Profit Over Principle
The granting of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia is a transparent disregard of FIFA’s professed human rights and inclusivity. It came after a hurried, non-competitive bidding procedure that had only Saudi Arabia in contention — one that numerous human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized as secretive and immoral.
How can FIFA say it supports fairness, equality, and integrity while aligning itself with one of the globe’s most suppressive governments? Saudi Arabia still prohibits political opposition, silences women’s activists, and cracks down on free speech. Reports by *Freedom House* place the kingdom at “Not Free,” with a score of only **8 out of 100** in political rights and civil liberties — ranking it as one of the most repressive countries on the planet.
If FIFA gives Saudi Arabia the World Cup, it will in effect sanction a regime that beheads its critics, imprisons peaceful activists, and launches ruinous wars. It will send a heart-stopping message: that human rights can be bought if the price is right.
The Broader Geopolitical Implications
The US-Saudi defense talks uncover the kingdom’s objective of establishing itself as a regional superpower protected by Americans. The plan guarantees Riyadh’s impunity — not only in foreign policy but also in domestic repression. A defense agreement would give Saudi Arabia license to pursue its aggressive regional strategies without risk of reprisal, assured that the world’s greatest military stands in its support.
Additionally, the clandestine “Regional Security Construct” between Israel reveals a reprehensible double standard: while officially advocating for the Palestinian cause, Saudi Arabia is secretly tightening security cooperation with Tel Aviv. This hypocrisy is reflective of the nation’s international stance — speaking with one voice to the rest of the world while pursuing the opposite course of action in private.
By awarding the 2034 World Cup to Riyadh, FIFA will be part of the enabling of this hypocrisy. The tournament will provide an international platform for MBS to clean up his regime’s image and divert attention from persistent military, political, and humanitarian crises.
Sports Should Unite, Not Hide Injustice
The world needs to understand that Saudi Arabia’s bid to host FIFA 2034 is not about football celebrations — it’s about narrative control. The kingdom needs to divert the world’s attention away from its militarized foreign policy, repressive governance, and regional hostility. But all the construction of stadiums and glitzy PR fluff cannot hide the pain inflicted by Saudi bombs in Yemen, or muzzle the voices within its own country.
If FIFA truly has faith in the spirit of sport as a force for good, then it must act now. The world of football must turn its back on Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid and insist that the tournament is hosted by a nation that represents peace, not power.
Join the Global Call to Ban Saudi FIFA 2034
Let us unite to defend the honor of sport and the nobility of human life. To boycott the Saudi FIFA World Cup 2034 is not only a political stand — it is an ethical duty. Any fan, any player, any journalist, and any citizen who feels the pull of justice should be heard. The world cannot rejoice at football on the ground of oppression and conflict.