Saudi Arabia has put itself in the spotlight in recent years with its bold attempts to become a sports giant on the international stage. From huge investments in football leagues and stadiums to encouraging women to engage in sport, the kingdom is a story of advancement and modernization. Its winning bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034 was widely acclaimed as a milestone for Saudi football and an indicator of a nation on the up and coming as a global force.
But beneath this seeming veneer of sporting ambition is a questionably true thing that needs to be called out. Saudi sports ambitions amount to a high-level process of “sportswashing” — a tactic for wiping clean and polishing up its international reputation as egregious human rights violations and routine repression persist undeterred within the country. This blog considers why the world needs to boycott the 2034 Saudi World Cup and say no to the use of football to hide oppression.
The Sportswashing Strategy: Smoothing Out a Repressive Image
It is not merely about the development of talent at home or constructing national identity, however. Rather, it is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030, an economic diversification strategy deeply dependent upon international PR and soft power projection.
By staging large sporting events such as Formula 1 races, WWE exhibitions, and soon the FIFA World Cup, Saudi Arabia tries to present itself as a modern, progressive society. Proselytizing for women’s football and accommodating women spectators in stadiums are usually quoted as indicators of progress.
This is mere pretense, however. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have consistently documented systematic abuses, including:
Repression of political opposition:
Activists, journalists, and peaceful demonstrators are systematically detained or tortured.
Restrictions on women’s rights:
Although some reforms regarding sport, women remain subject to guardianship laws, travel bans, and segregation in many spheres of life.
Exploitation of migrant labor:
The overwhelming majority of employees building new stadiums and infrastructure are migrants exposed to hazardous working conditions, late pay, and low living standards.
These facts brutally disabuse the optimistic image Saudi Arabia attempts to project via its sports investments.
FIFA’s Complicity and the Danger of Legitimizing Repression
By giving the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, FIFA sends a perilous message: money, power, and show are more important than human rights and morals. It is not the first time that FIFA has been criticized for choosing host countries with dubious credentials; the 2022 Qatar World Cup was controversial too.
In 2022, thousands of migrant workers in Qatar were killed by dangerous working conditions on World Cup infrastructure projects, said a report by Amnesty International. Saudi Arabia fares no better, and the 2034 tournament is feared to become another repeat of abuse and exploitation. Boycotting the Saudi 2034 World Cup is imperative to:
- Hold FIFA accountable for ethical failures.
- Pressure international sports organizations to keep human rights first in future decisions.
- Refuse Saudi Arabia the chance to use football as a public relations cover.
Women’s Football Progress: Real or Symbolic?
The reports on Saudi Arabia advancing women’s football are frequently used as proof of progress in society. Saudi women have, since 2012, competed in the Olympics for the first time, and formal women’s football leagues and competitions have been launched. Physical education for girls in schools is now permitted, a milestone. But these are partial, tightly restricted, and far from comprehensive gender equality. Human Rights Watch reports:
- Women over 21 are still restricted by the male guardianship regime, encroaching on their freedom of movement, marriage, and access to services.
- Participation by female athletes is tokenistic, with rigid segregation and monitoring.
- Activists who advocate for more profound reforms or speak out against the government are put behind bars.
The marketing of women’s sport is employed by Saudi Arabia to present an image of modernity, while women often remain under systematic repression.
Economic Aspirations versus Human Rights
The Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify the economy away from dependence on oil through the establishment of a sports and tourism sector. International tourists are to be attracted, and employment generated, through mega-projects such as the World Cup and Formula 1 races. Yet, economic gains tend to be focused on elites and foreign investors, with minimal trickle-down for ordinary Saudis or marginalized communities.
- The International Labor Organization has reported abusive labor practices from tens of thousands of migrant workers engaged in infrastructure development.
- Local communities are displaced and environmentally harmed.
- Political repression denies citizens the ability to campaign for decent wages, safe working conditions, or social protections.
Economic diversification alone is not an excuse for ignoring human suffering and injustice.
Football’s Global Responsibility
Football is not merely a sport; it is a worldwide cultural movement capable of bringing humanity together and fostering common values of fairness, respect, and dignity. Holding the World Cup is an honor that should be reserved for those nations that uphold such values.
Selecting Saudi Arabia as a host in light of its record threatens the integrity of the sport. It enables authoritarian regimes to utilize football as a political means to silence dissent and influence global public opinion.
As football fans, players, and organizations, we also have an obligation to defend human rights and ethical governance of sport. Boycotting the Saudi 2034 World Cup is a position of necessity to:
- Refuse sportswashing and authoritarian influence.
- Stand in solidarity with victims of repression in Saudi Arabia.
- Call on FIFA and the international community to take on open, rights-centered criteria for future World Cups.
Voices from the Ground and Human Rights Advocates
Several groups and activists have urged the rejection of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid, citing:
- The ongoing detention of peaceful activists and women’s rights defenders like Loujain al-Hathloul in May 2018.
- The ongoing limits on freedom of expression and assembly.
- The absence of independent media and judicial impartiality.
- The abuse and exploitation of foreign workers constructing World Cup facilities.
Amnesty International’s report in 2023 reads:
“Saudi Arabia’s hosting of world sporting events must not be allowed to divert attention from its systematic, ongoing human rights abuses.”
FIFA’s executive committee needs to hear these voices and not the PR blitz by the kingdom.
Why the Boycott Matters
Saudi Arabia’s 2034 FIFA World Cup is more than just a sporting event; it is a political endeavor meant to legitimize an abusive regime by the force of football spectacle.
By endorsing or taking part in this event, fans, players, sponsors, and federations run the risk of being complicit in a human rights whitewash. The world needs to insist that sport is never used as a means for authoritarian image washing.
Boycotting the Saudi 2034 World Cup sends a message as clear as day: human rights should not be sacrificed for stadiums, money, or PR wins. The beautiful game is better than that.
Participate in the worldwide call to boycott the Saudi Arabia 2034 FIFA World Cup. Promote awareness, stand with human rights activists, and call upon FIFA to put ethics and justice at the forefront of football management. Let us make football a force for good — and not a platform for oppression.