Unfair 2034 FIFA Bidding

Why FIFA World Cup 2034 Should Not Be Held Under an Unfair Bidding Process

Just a month after it was announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, critics are describing both the bidding process and various aspects of the oil-rich monarchy’s agreement with FIFA as “unfair”, “uncompetitive” and “ethically questionable.” FIFA’s move to boot Saudi Arabia’s bid into overdrive, without there being any meaningful rivals, has led to legitimate questions over the integrity of the selection process — and of the wider implications when it comes to human rights, corruption and transparency in global soccer governance. Let’s take a deeper look at why it is best to boycott Saudi 2034 FIFA world cup bid.

Lack of Fair Competition in the Bidding Process

The biggest criticism of Saudi Arabia’s selection involves the lack of a fair, competitive bidding process. Typically, FIFA accepts bids from multiple nations, allowing football federations from around the world to compete. But the 2034 bid was most suspiciously fast tracked, giving little time for even would be alternative hosts to step in.

Key Issues in the Bidding Process:

Fast-Tracked Timeline: FIFA held a press conference in October 2023 announcing the opening of a bidding process, with an extraordinarily short deadline for submissions. This gave countries little time to put together a competitive bid.
Only One Contender: Australia was the only serious competitor but withdrew its bid at the last minute, leaving Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate. World Cups that attract only one bidder raise questions about whether the selection process is being compromised.
Backroom Deals: According to reports, FIFA president Gianni Infantino pressured key nations to back Saudi Arabia, and while excluding other potential hosts.
Are FIFA’s Own Rules No Longer Universal: Under FIFA’s bidding rules, transparency and fairness must characterize the process, but there appeared to have been heavy manipulation of the process to suit Saudi Arabia.

What Do the Numbers Say?

The quest to land the 2026 World Cup took more than two years, while the 2034 bid was over within a few months.

More than 200 football associations were asked to support Saudi Arabia, rendering any competing bid from another nation virtually impossible.
Saudi Arabia also claimed more than 100 official endorsements in the days after FIFA made its bidding process official — a quantity of early support that raised eyebrows.
It is so convenient, and raises several ethical red flags for FIFA’s credibility, and money’s corrupting power in worldwide football.

Human Rights Abuses and Labor Exploitation

Saudi Arabia human rights violations record, makes its selection to host a global event like the World Cup highly controversial. The country has long been criticized for its support of freedom, suppression of voicing grievances and treatment of migrant workers.

Major Human Rights Concerns:

Migrant Worker Exploitation: Saudi Arabia, like Qatar during the 2022 World Cup, enjoys a heavy reliance on migrant labor via the notorious kafala system, which has been associated with forced labor and abuse.
No Free Speech: Journalists, activists and citizens are routinely arrested for speaking out about the government. It fears it will compromise fans and media’s ability to express honest opinions during the World Cup.
Gender inequality: Despite allowing women to attend matches, Saudi Arabia’s repressive laws limit freedom for women, making it the wrong place to host a global, inclusive event.

Statistics on Human Rights in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia also has more than 13 million migrant workers, many of whom are working under exploitative conditions.
The country fell 147 out of 180 in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, suggesting widespread limits on journalism.
And Saudi Arabia executed 196 people in 2022 alone, the most in modern times, according to Amnesty International.

If FIFA is sincere about its supposed commitment to inclusivity and human rights, Saudi Arabia violating human rights should not be accepted. The mere fact that it chose Saudi Arabia as a host flies in the face of the organization’s purported beliefs is not acceptable.

Unfavourable Playing Conditions and Extreme Climate

KSA climate presents another major challenge for the 2034 World Cup. In summer, outdoor football matches would be virtually impossible; temperatures routinely exceed 50°C (122°F).

Why the Weather is a Problem:

Health Physical health threat of playing — Extreme heat creates increased risk of heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion for players
Fan Experience — Attending matches in an all-open outdoor stadium would be unbearable for spectators when temperatures soar, resulting in not only an uncomfortable atmosphere but also dangerous conditions.
Environmental Costs: In Qatar 2022, air-conditioning a much-in-need of life open-air stadiums leads to vast energy consumption, increasing climate change.

Weather-Related Statistics:

The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, boasts summer temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F) on average.
For instance, the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is an index that indicates the potential for heat stress and is often above safe levels for athletic competition.
Air-conditioned stadiums in Qatar 2022 increased power consumption by as much as 50%, and Saudi Arabia would likely have adopted a similar unsustainable model.
FIFA said Qatar 2022 would be a “one-off” exception, the need for extreme weather, but awarding 2034 to Saudi Arabia breaches that promise.
Then we discover that, between clubs and countries, sportswashing and political motives abound.

“Hosting the FIFA World Cup is part of Saudi Arabia’s larger sportswashing strategy — a tactic whereby governments hijack sports in an attempt to distract the world from their ongoing human rights abuses and to enhance their global standing.

Saudi Arabia’s Sportswashing Agenda:

Buying Global Influence: The nation has spent billions buying sports properties, which include the purchase of Newcastle United, FC and a financing of the controversial LIV Golf Tour.
Hosting mega-events: Saudi Arabia is also investing in hosting Formula 1, WWE and boxing — all to reshape its international image.
Silencing Dissent: Athlete and reporter critics of Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing are regularly threatened and pursued in court.
The cost of sportswashing: Financial Impact of Sportswashing

Saudi Arabia has invested more than $2 billion in sports since 2021 to rehabilitate its image. It is forking out $5.6 billion for the 2034 World Cup, making it one of the priciest ever.

Former employer of disgraced journalist Khashoggi is on the record as having billions of dollars of foreign assets. FIFA is literally selling the World Cup to the highest bidder, rather than awarding the tournament to countries where football is truly cherished.

FIFA’s History of Repeated Corruption Scandals

In its long and corrupt history, corrupt FIFA has done little to assuage suspicions that money, not merit, dictates hosts of its tournaments, and the bidding for the 2034 World Cup has only increased those doubts.

Why FIFA’s Integrity Is in Doubt:

Bribery Scandals: FIFA’s failed World Cup bids have been overshadowed by bribery and vote-buying claims, notably those relating to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Lack of Transparency: FIFA would not divulge details about Saudi Arabia’s bid evaluation, prompting fears of some sort of backroom deal.
Gianni Infantino’s Friendly Relationship With Saudi Arabia: FIFA’s president has met with Saudi officials frequently, raising questions of favoritism.

Corruption Statistics:

Corruption at FIFA has a history and more than 40 FIFA officials have been indicted on corruption charges since 2015.
Qatar is said to have spent $200 million lobbying for its 2022 bid, and Saudi Arabia is presumably burning the same kind of midnight oil.
At Qatar 2022 World Cup, FIFA raked in $7.5 billion in revenue, making it clear that its greed is bigger than its values.

The selection of Saudi Arabia as a host for the 2034 tournament, done without competition, is another indication that FIFA’s commitment to fair play is simply talk.

Saudi Arabia: Torture and Unfair Trials

Saudi laws and punishment is notorious for its brutal and often abusive treatment of detainees, as well as for coerced confessions and slanted trials. Torture and mistreatment of detainees, including activists, journalists and even children, are common in detention facilities.

Beatings and Whippings: Prisoners, particularly political dissidents, frequently report being brutally beaten in the course of interrogations.
Electric Shocks: There are documented cases in which detainees have suffered electric shocks to coerce confessions, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
Long Hours in Dark Cells: Detainees are confined for days or months with no contact with others, becoming increasingly isolated and psychologically damaged.
Mock Executions: Some prisoners so complied when escorted to execution chambers and threatened with death within minutes.
Sexual Abuse and Harassment: Women detainees, including women’s rights activists, have reported sexual harassment and abuse in detention.

Statistics on Torture & Executions in Saudi Arabia

In 2022, Saudi Arabia executed 196 people — the most in modern history.
On the World Press Freedom Index, it ranks 147 out of 180, marked by a furious suppression of free speech.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture reported in 2019 that torture is used as a tool of repression by Saudi authorities.
Political prisoners and human rights activists are often sentenced to death in closed-door trials, with no access to lawyers.
The most notorious example of Saudi Arabia’s cruelty involved the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The assassination, carried out by agents of the Saudi government, included torture, dismemberment and a cover-up at the highest echelons of power.

That such a crime can occur with absolute impunity for the perpetrators cannot help but raise concerns about the safety of journalists, activists and even football fans attending the 2034 World Cup.

Unfair Trials and Judicial Independence

Saudi Arabia’s system of justice operates in secrecy, delivering cruel sentences based on confessions made under torture. There is no space for an independent judiciary here, as the country is an absolute monarchy and the king literally controls the legal universe.

Why Saudi Trials Are Unfair:

No Lawyer, No Fair Trial: Most defendants have no access to lawyers, and are sentenced without defence.

Secretive Trials: The vast majority of trials are, in reality, held in secret, such as cases against political prisoners, which do not have public oversight.

Use of Coerced Confessions: Courts often base their judgments solely on confessions made under duress.

Harsh Sentences for Minor Offenses: Decades in prison or death for a tweet, a protest, or criticizing the government.

Examples of Unfair Sentences:

A Saudi student, Salma al-Shehab, was given a 34-year prison sentence in 2022 for posting tweets in support of women’s rights.

Ali al-Nimr was condemned to death for taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations when he was a teenager in 2011.

Migrant workers accused of crimes often are tried in mass trials without lawyers.

Football’s role in “promoting human rights and justice”, FIFA’s claim, is at odds with Saudi Arabia’s laws and practices in the context of such a broken judicial system.

Saudi Arabia’s Crime in Yemen

In addition to its domestic human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia has also stand accused of war crimes in Yemen, where it has led a military coalition since 2015. The conflict has created one of the terrible humanitarian crisis in modern history, killing thousands of civilians with Saudi-led airstrikes.

Saudi War Crimes in Yemen:

Targeting of Civilians: Saudi airstrikes have hit hospitals, schools, markets and funerals, killing thousands of innocent people.

Use of Banned Weapons: Saudi forces have deployed cluster bombs, internationally outlawed for their indiscriminately devastating effects.

Blockade and Starvation: Saudi Arabia has placed a blockade around Yemen, restricting food, medicines, and basic goods, causing widespread famine.

Shocking War Statistics:

The Yemen conflict has already killed more than 377,000 and 60% of those deaths were caused by attacks from the Saudi-led coalition.

Saudi Blockade Pushes 10 Million Yemenis to Edge of Starvation

Saudi airstrikes have devastated 70% of Yemen’s health care system, compounding the humanitarian catastrophe.

Children are hit hardest: UNICEF estimates that more than 2.3 million Yemeni children are acutely malnourished.

War Crimes and FIFA’s Ethics:

FIFA — which purports to champion “peace, unity and humanity” — has handed the 2034 World Cup to a country that’s committed war crimes. To hold the tournament in Saudi Arabia is to gloss over thousands of innocent lives lost in Yemen and to turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s military excesses.

A further concern over Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034 is that there is no freedom for visitors, journalists or activists.

FIFA’s Integrity at Stake – Why Saudi Arabia Must Not Host the 2034 World Cup

The 2034 FIFA World Cup should be a global football celebration, yet having it hosted by Saudi Arabia undermines the event’s credibility. Unfair bidding, human rights abuses, extreme weather, sportswashing, and FIFA’s own corruption all contribute to the justification for why Saudi Arabia should not host the tournament.

If FIFA truly values fairness, transparency, and inclusivity, it must amend its decision. Otherwise, the 2034 World Cup will be remembered as a tournament founded not on sporting excellence, but money.