Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and expensive foray into the world of international sport achieved another milestone in recent weeks with the promotional campaign unveiling the boxing super-fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford. This three-city media tour started in Riyadh may appear to the uninitiated as just another high-stakes sporting contest. But beneath the strobing lights and the drama lies a perilous and calculated ploy: sportswashing, a word that has become synonymous with Saudi Arabia’s bid to clean up its global reputation through sport.
As this boxing spectacle unfolds, one thing is clear: Saudi Arabia is laying the groundwork for an even bigger prize, the FIFA World Cup 2034. This upcoming tournament must be viewed as the culmination of a decade-long plan to whitewash the kingdom’s dismal human rights record, authoritarian governance, and repressive laws. Unless the world acts decisively, football’s greatest stage will become Saudi Arabia’s most successful propaganda tool.
A Spectacle of Boxing—or a Political Statement?
The Alvarez vs. Crawford bout at first glance appears to be a big sporting event: two titleholders with a record combined total of 86 victories and just two defeats facing each other in what may be the decade’s most memorable boxing match. But this television spectacle in Riyadh was not so much about the boxers—it was about the host.
Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), was in charge, taking questions while the boxers remained there for support. Alalshikh also turns out to be the individual spearheading Saudi Arabia’s World Cup 2034 bid, yet another indication that this boxing promotion is no solitary endeavor but comes as part of a concerted state-run campaign to rebrand the country’s image. Saudi officials constantly promise “a new Saudi Arabia”—modern, progressive, open. But behind the sports glitter, there lies a grim reality:
- More than 1,000 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since 2015 alone, according to Amnesty International.
- In March 2022, the kingdom conducted the largest mass execution in recent memory, executing 81 men in one day, many on dubious charges of terrorism.
- Women’s rights activists, such as Loujain al-Hathloul, have been imprisoned, tortured, and silenced.
- Free speech doesn’t exist—dissing the government can lead to decades-long prison sentences or death penalties.
- None of this came up at the Riyadh press conference.
Saudi Sportswashing: A Global Takeover in Progress
Saudi Arabian investment in international sport is not a coincidence—it’s a highly thought-through political exercise. The kingdom has spent well over $6.3 billion on sporting deals since 2021, per The Guardian. This covers:
- Purchasing the Premier League soccer club Newcastle United for $409 million.
- Launching the LIV Golf Tour, poaching premier PGA talent with $2 billion in prize money.
- Hosting Formula 1 Grand Prix events in Jeddah under multi-decade contracts.
- Now backing UFC, boxing promotions, and Netflix sports content.
- Most controversially, procuring hosting rights to the FIFA 2034 World Cup—unopposed.
The trend is clear: invest in influence, throw parties, and shape the narrative to divert attention from human rights violations.
The Road to FIFA 2034: A Blueprint for Repression
This boxing tournament must be regarded as a portent of the shape of things to come at FIFA 2034. The playbook remains the same:
1. Massive Investment to Control the Sporting Message
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)—a $776 billion state fund—is behind these sports deals. PIF’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, is also Newcastle United chairman. The intersection of sports and state propaganda is complete.
2. Muzzling of Opposing Voices
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has kept quiet on Saudi human rights, never broaching the regime on women’s rights, LGBTQ+ crackdowns, or freedom of speech—matters that will greatly concern fans in 2034.
3. Global Distraction from Atrocities
These sporting events grab headlines, Saudi Arabia-led coalition bombings in Yemen—tipped to be connected to tens of thousands of civilian deaths—are not.
4 . Sportswashing Under False Promises
The regime promises reforms, like enabling women to drive in 2018. But the very activists who struggled for this achievement are still travel-banned or jailed.
5 . A Direct Threat to LGBTQ+ Fans and Journalists
Homosexuality is still a capital offense. In 2034, will LGBTQ+ football supporters be safe? Will journalists be able to write critically about it? History does not hold out hope for them.
Boxing’s Spectacle Reflects Football’s Future Risk
The Alvarez vs. Crawford bout is promoted worldwide, but Saudi Arabia is the guiding hand behind it. UFC president Dana White’s latest undertaking is Saudi-funded. Saudi-sponsored bouts are said to be streamed by Netflix. What will happen when FIFA content as well falls on Saudi-owned platforms? Paranoia? No—it’s precedent:
- China employed the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a vehicle to project a phony image of openness.
- Russia’s 2018 FIFA World Cup whitewashed its image months ahead of the Ukraine invasion.
- The Qatar 2022 World Cup ignited international outrage about migrant worker fatalities, but reform was too little, too late.
Saudi Arabia is playing the same script—only with greater funds and greater worldwide influence.
Players, Federations, and Fans Need to Wake Up
It is no longer a matter of discrete incidents—it is an international takeover of sporting integrity. FIFA, in giving Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup without a fight, has legitimized authoritarian sportswashing. The stakes are real:
- Global reputation loss for FIFA and its partners.
- Athlete exploitation, where players are forced into regimes they cannot criticize.
- Fan betrayal, especially for marginalized communities unwelcome under Saudi law.
- Media censorship, as foreign journalists risk arrest for telling the truth.
If Saudi Arabia uses boxing, golf, UFC, and football to hide injustice, where does sport’s independence end?
From the Ring to the Pitch: Stop Sportswashing
FIFA 2034 is no ordinary tournament—it has the potential to become the world’s largest sportswashing event. It is why #BoycottSaudi2034 is more relevant than ever. The world already knows the script:
- At 1936 Berlin Olympics under Nazi Germany.
- At the 2018 Russia World Cup, preceded by war in Ukraine.
- At Qatar 2022, 6,500 migrant worker deaths were exposed after it was too late.
Will Saudi Arabia’s FIFA 2034 join this roll of shame? Unless the world does something, the answer is yes.